


Danganronpa: Dead Or Alive

by Izzy101



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Captivity, Despair, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Gen, Hope, Hope vs. Despair, Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Male Protagonist, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa) Being An Asshole, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Storytelling, Suspense, The Biggest Most Awful Most Tragic Event in Human History (Dangan Ronpa), Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:20:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29587134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzy101/pseuds/Izzy101
Summary: Sixteen students wake up and find themselves in an abandoned mansion on a deserted island. They were supposed to be attending their first year at Soaring Heights High School. But a mechanical cat is telling them otherwise.Jiro Kinoshita is one of those students. With no memory of what his talent is, he is left to put the pieces together with the friends that he has made.However, a mechanical bear shows up and tells them that they would be forced into a killing game!They need to work together and escape.By an means necessary.
Kudos: 2





	1. Social Interaction Simulator

_Soaring Heights High School? It isn't the most popular school for Ultimates. It's currently second against Hope's Peak Academy._

_Honestly, it wasn't my first choice of schools, but I'll take what I can get. As long as I can share my talent._

_My..._

_Talent...._

—————————————————————

Jiro stared at the school in front of him. He had to admit, it definitely looked very intriguing. 

This was his first time attending a public school, so he was rather excited and anxious at the same time. He didn't look forward to having to meet a bunch of strangers, but this was his chance to change himself.

As he took his first step onto the school ground, he felt a wave of nausea pass over him and the world around him began to spin. Before he had a chance to upright himself, he fell helplessly to the ground.

Slowly, the world around him faded to black.

—————————————————————

When Jiro slowly began to regain consciousness, he was vaguely aware of someone watching him. 

He felt a terrible pounding sensation in his head. What happened? Was he still in front of the school? Maybe someone found him and brought him to the infirmary.

Slowly blinking open his eyes, Jiro found that he was laying in a rather large and extravagant bed. 

In a quick motion, he sat up and looked around frantically. Unfortunately, he didn't know that there was someone else in the room with him. But apparently, neither did they.

"Oh my god!! I didn't know if you were alive or not!!" 

Jiro looked to the side and noticed a girl that was around his age. She looked moderately terrified. Her eyes were wide with confusion as well.

"Um...why would I be dead exactly?" He asked.

She scratched the back of her neck nervously.

"Er-...I don't know. You didn't look like you were breathing so I thought: 'I should check to see if he's okay.' Then you suddenly sat up and scared the living hell out of me." The girl explained. During the entire explanation, she didn't stop for air even once, so when she ended, she sounded close to dying herself.

Jiro pushed himself off the bed, waiting a moment to get used to standing. 

"Do you...need help?" The girl asked, watching the boy.

He shook his head.

"I prefer...if you didn't..." he mumbled, almost to the point where only he knew what he said.

"Um...alright. That's fine. But do you mind if I stick with you? You're the only other person that I've seen so far and I kind of want to be near someone of my own species." The girl said, chuckling awkwardly.

Jiro took a moment to think about it. He didn't like grouping up with others since they usually found him to be odd, but he didn't exactly like them either. This girl seemed like she would be the social butterfly type that would talk their way out of anything. 

As much as he wanted to say no, he knew that they'd figure out what's going on more effectively if they stayed together. 

"...I guess..." Jiro mumbled, scratching the side of his nose out of habit.

"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce myself. My name's **Mizuki Rai, The Ultimate Comedian.** " 

(An average sized girl with slicked back long light brown hair. She had bright green eyes and she wore a black short-sleeved school uniform lined with red. She wore a long sleeved collared white shirt underneath it. She has a red tie. She wore a similarly colored skirt as her top was, and gray leggings)

' _An Ultimate? I wonder if she was scouted for Soaring Heights as well..._ ' He thought to himself as he scanned the girl.

Mizuki shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze.

"Okay...I'm..Jiro Kinoshita...the Ultimate....um...Ultimate...." he trailed off.

Mizuki perked up.

"Are you an Ultimate too? That's great! What's your talent?!" She asked.

Jiro paused. He began searching through his muddled memories but nothing came up. 

"I don't....why can't I remember...?" He asked himself.

"Can't remember? That's fine. My memories are pretty jumbled as well. It's alright if you don't remember, Kinoshita-san." Mizuki said.

Jiro scratched the side of his nose again. Something he did when he was deep in thought. 

"Hey, question, were you scouted to join Soaring Heights High School?" The comedian inquired.

"I was....yes..." Jiro answered, looking mildly confused.

He very much disliked having conversations with strangers. But in a situation like this, he basically had no other choice. This girl was already making him uncomfortable with her constant push for conversation with him.

He already told her his name. What more could she want to know?

"It's the same for me! We must be classmates." Mizuki said, smiling.

Jiro gave a crooked smile. 

Something that he was very bad at also, was acting. Mostly because he liked to make it clear that he was uncomfortable. 

"Alright then, I'll stick with you! Let's go see if there's anyone else here."

Before he could say anything else, Mizuki grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door. 

"H-Hey! I didn't agree to this!!" Jiro protested.

Mizuki only chuckled in response.

"Trust me, I know. But if I don't do this, I have a feeling that you'd never leave that room." She said.

Jiro opened his mouth to protest but he soon discovered that she was probably right. He would do anything to avoid interacting to another person face to face.

"...f-fine..." Jiro said, trailing off, seemingly lost in thought again. 

He wished he had a reason to stay away from this girl but he honestly had nothing. 

After a few minutes of wandering, they stopped where they were. Jiro was about to ask why they weren't moving but he soon figured out why. 

Directly ahead of them, there stood a very odd looking boy. He was staring up at a portrait on the wall with wide eyes. 

"Um...h-hello...?" Mizuki called out.

The boy snapped his head in their direction so suddenly that it made Jiro stumble backwards in surprise. 

"Oh man...we're gonna die." Jiro mumbled.

The boy tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Die? By who? I'm not going to hurt you. I have a feeling you're both just as lost as I am." The boy said, fully facing them.

He bowed and then straightened himself back up.

"Anyways, my name is **Yasha Fukuda, The Ultimate Executioner** "

(A taller boy with jet black hair that reaches down to his collar. His hair is very astray. He wears a light purple facial mask over his mouth and nose and his eyes are light purple. He wears a darker purple hoodie with black pants.)

"Now, I know you're both probably wondering about my talent, and I assure you that I am not some axe-welding maniac. I'm not going to hurt either of you." The executioner said.

Mizuki visibly relaxed, while Jiro finally snatched his hand away from her. He mumbled something under his breath.

"It's nice to see another Ultimate. My name's Mizuki Rai, and I'm the Ultimate Comedian." She said, smiling towards him.

Yasha nodded and glanced at the boy behind her.

"And how about you? Another Ultimate I assume?" He said.

Jiro sighed as he was forced back into the conversation. 

".....I'm Jiro Kinoshita...." he said simply.

The executioner tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"He doesn't remember his talent. But it's only natural to forget things when you're overwhelmed." Mizuki explained.

Yasha nodded slowly and placed a hand under his chin.

"Okay...but to forget something as important as your Ultimate talent, you'd have to had hit your head or something." He said.

Jiro glanced to both sides, only partially listening to the conversation.

"Do you know where we are? Or how we got here?" Jiro asked quickly.

Yasha shook his head.

"I don't know either. Last I remember, I was walking into Soaring Heights and then...now I'm here." Yasha gestured around the hallway.

"Okay. T-Thank you for that but I'm gonna go now." Jiro said, turning to leave.

Mizuki was quick to grab his wrist again and yank him back towards them.

"Oh, no you don't! We have to stick together. We're all in the same situation here." She said, holding his wrist firmly as he attempted to escape her grip. 

They heard a quiet chuckle and they both looked back at Yasha.

"You two are pretty funny together." He mused.

"N-No we aren't! She just won't let me leave!" Jiro hissed.

"Yup." Mizuki responded.

Jiro finally stopped trying to get her to let him go. His physical strength was practically nothing so he really stood no chance.

"Wow, you're really skinny, Kinoshita-kun." Yasha said.

At some point, he'd gotten uncomfortably close to Jiro without him noticing. The executioner scanned Jiro's body up and down.

"Please don't....do that." Jiro muttered quietly.

Yasha looked up at him in confusion.

"Do what?" He asked, seemingly unaware that he was doing something strange.

Mizuki cleared her throat, getting both of their attention.

"Let's go see if we can find anyone else. Or at the very least, find out where we are." She said.

Without waiting for an answer, she began to drag Jiro along down the hallway. Yasha wasn't too far behind them.

-

Jiro stopped walking as he became aware of someone watching him. It wasn't the same feeling as being stared at by Yasha either. 

In a quick motion, Jiro spun around just in time to see something duck behind the corner. Was his eyes just playing tricks on him?

What on earth was that?

"What is it, Kinoshita-san?" Mizuki asked.

"I thought....no...nevermind." He muttered.

Yasha casted a concerned look at Mizuki before they continued walking again.

Not even a minute later, Jiro spun around again, this time he managed to catch the perpetrator in the act.

Another person was peeking around the corner. When they locked eyes with Jiro, they immediately ducked back again.

"H-Hey!" Jiro called out.

This alerted the other two that he was walking with. They turned back towards him.

"What's wrong now?" Mizuki asked.

"I knew someone was following us..." Jiro muttered under his breath. 

He wasn't mad at this person, he was just annoyed that they wouldn't show themselves. Without waiting for the other two to respond, he marched towards where he last saw the person and rounded the corner, almost running straight into someone else.

"A-Ah! D-Don't hurt me!" 

Jiro watched in confusion as this boy fell backwards and scrambled away from him. He didn't know what to say, and thankfully, he didn't have to say anything.

Mizuki caught up with him and followed his gaze until she saw the boy on the ground.

"Oh! Hi there. Are you lost too?" She asked.

The boy didn't respond. The look in his eyes made it clear that he was afraid of them. It didn't help when Yasha appeared, making the boy even more scared. Jiro really couldn't blame him. Yasha was creepy as hell.

"A-Are you sure...?" The boy asked. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Mizuki held up her hands and made a plus sign with her fingers.

"Positive." She said.

The boy didn't say anything for a moment, then he began laughing quietly.

Jiro couldn't help but smile. He was glad that this kid wasn't scared anymore but he still didn't know who he was.

"Now, what's your name? I'm Mizuki. This is Kinoshita-san and Fukuda-san." She said, gesturing to the two boys behind her.

Jiro gave an awkward wave and shied away a bit.

The boy wiped his eyes with his baggy sleeves and shakily got to his feet.

"M-My name's **Akito Sakurai, and I'm the Ultimate Philologist.** "

(It was a boy with straight dark purple hair that was in a bobbed cut. He had pink eyes, with long lashes. He wore a white vest over a gray shirt which sleeves only went up to the elbows, and it had a black collar and black cuffs. He also wore black shorts that went down to his knees.)

"It's nice to meet you, Sakurai-san." Mizuki said, smiling at him.

Akito looked from side to side, as if expecting something. Then he face back towards them.

"And...I just wanted to clear this up right away....but I'm not a 'he' or a 'she'. So if you can, p-please refer to me as 'they' or 'them'. I'm Agender." Akito bowed deeply, waiting.

"Sure thing!" Mizuki agreed.

"No problem." Yasha said.

Jiro nodded silently.

Akito's eyes widened and they looked incredibly confused.

"R-Really? You aren't gonna tell me that I'm...weird or....a freak...?" They asked quietly.

Yasha chuckled and shook his head.

"We're Ultimates. Which means we're all weird." He said. 

Akito's eyes seemed to light up and they looked much more at ease.

"By the way, could you explain what philology is?" Yasha requested.

Akito nodded slowly. 

"U-Um...I guess you could say that I-I basically study historical growth or adaptation of languages in things like written literature. Philology is also a sub-field of linguistics." They explained rather passionately.

"Ah, I see. I would tell you my talent as well but I have a feeling that won't end well." Yasha mumbled, tugging slightly at purple mask over his mouth.

"Oh wait? I forgot to ask. Do any of you guys know where I am? I don't know how I got here." Akito said, returning to their nervous state.

"We don't...know either...." Jiro said, glancing down the hallway. 

Akito sighed as they looked around the area.

"I've been searching around here for any clues since I woke up in some strange bedroom. I-I haven't been able to find anything b-but I did run into a couple people. Um...but I panicked and ran away from them...." They said, lowering their head in shame.

Jiro was tempted to speak up but his social anxiety decided to snap his mouth shut.

"Hey um....Kinoshita-san? If you don't mind me asking, what's that s-sticking out of your pocket?" Akito asked, pointing to the previously unseen slip of paper that was poking out of his orange jackets pocket.

"Huh? When did this get here?" He asked, grabbed the paper.

Jiro looked the slip up and down before finally unfolding it.

"...what the...?"

"What's on it?" Mizuki asked, trying to peer over Jiro's shoulder.

"It says; 'To My Beloved Students, when you are done exploring, please come to the ballroom for an assembly! All will be explained then. Signed, your teacher.' What on earth?" Jiro couldn't have possibly been more confused.

"S-So, we just need to find the ballroom?" Akito asked.

"That seems to be it. But I still have my suspicions." Yasha mumbled to himself.

"Everything about this practically screams 'It's a trap!'. But it doesn't seem like we really have any other choice." Jiro said, his grip on the paper tightening slightly.

-

"H-Hey, guys. I think this is it." Akito said, pointing to a set of wooden double doors.

"What makes you say that?" Misaki asked.

She turned towards Yasha as he cleared his throat to get her attention. He then pointed to a golden plate on the door that said 'ballroom'.

"Oohhh...I guess you're right then." She said, laughing at her own ignorance.

"If it's alright with you all, I'd like to enter first. Just so I can make sure that it's safe for the rest of you." Yasha volunteered.

Jiro raised and eyebrow but didn't question the other boy. He merely nodded.

"Are you sure that you're a-alright with that?" Akito asked shyly.

Yasha nodded.

"Of course. Safety is important after all." The executioner said.

The boy then approached the doors, he gripped one of the handles and opened it. 

He disappeared into the room while the rest of them stood outside silently. 

A moment later, Yasha appeared in the doorway again.

"I believe it's fine. There's a bunch of people here too." He said, holding the door open for them.

Misaki thanked him and gently grabbed Jiro by the wrist and led him inside. Akito followed soon after.

Jiro was momentarily in complete awe at how extravagant this room was.

(High walls looking to be made of gold with fancy chandeliers handing from the ceiling. Large windows on almost every wall. Large pillars too and a checkered floor.)

"W-Wow...it's so big in here..." Akito said, glancing around the room.

" _ **Mic check. Mic check. Hello students! I will now begin since everyone has finally arrived!**_ " A happy voice said.

Everyone looked around the ballroom, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a small figure appeared.

Everyone stared at it in complete awe and confusion.

"Am...am I the only one seeing the talking cat plushie right now?"

The all black cat widened it's eyes.

" _ **H-Hey! I'm not just some plushie! I'm Monokitty! And I'm your teacher!**_ " The cat exclaimed.

"Que? You are our teacher? But you do not appear to be human." 

"Also, why the hell are we at some mansion. Last time I checked, we should be in a school."

" _ **Ah, Yes. The school is currently under renovation and they have decided to move your class out here for a chance to relax!**_ " Monokitty explained.

"Excuse me, but I don't remember coming here. Why can't I remember anything after walking into the school?" 

Students mumbled amongst themselves, having wondered the same thing. Monokitty began to grow nervous. 

" _ **S-Sorry! But I can't really explain that. But for now, I have an activity! Since you're all classmates, I want you to greet each other and get to know a little about one another. You can earn 'Hope Fragments' after meeting each person. Once you have fifteen, I will give you your next task!**_ " Without another word, Monokitty seemed to vanish in thin air. 

They students looked around at one another. Some of the looks were friendly, while others were far from it. 

Get to know their classmates? Especially in such a confusing situation like this one, it was ridiculous.

But somehow, Jiro knew that the weird cat thing would most likely only appear again if they did as they were told. 

He casually scanned the room. There were sixteen students, including himself. He'd already met three of them, leaving...

Jiro sighed heavily. This would be the death of him. Interacting with strangers in a potential hostage situation. This wasn't the type of life he though he would have at school.

' _....thirteen more to go....._ ' He begrudgingly thought to himself.

He glanced over at Mizuki for a split second and jumped slightly when he realized that she was staring at him.

"U-Um...?" Was all he could say.

Mizuki giggled and grabbed his hand, this time more gently.

"Let's go meet our classmates, Kinoshita-san. Then maybe we'll get some answers as to what's going on." She said, once again, dragging the poor boy with her.


	2. Meet & Greet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t already read Danganronpa: Rapid Fire, I would suggest doing that before reading this book.

Jiro didn't like this. Not even a little. He was okay with one or two people talking to him at at time(not really) but when Mizuki dragged him towards the largest group, he felt like he would become overwhelmed again. 

Luckily for him, Mizuki took notice of his discomfort and then began pulling him in a different direction.

They ended up in front of a boy who stood away from everyone else. He was leaning against the windowsill quite carelessly.

The boy looked at them at out of the corner of his eye for not even a second then returned to looking out the window at something apparently more interesting.

Mizuki cleared her throat. The boy turned fully towards them, frowning.

"What?"

"We came to introduce ourselves. Like Monokitty said." Mizuki explained.

"Really? Doesn't look like your friend here really cares for this stuff." The boy said, nodding his head towards Jiro, who instantly stiffened.

"Oh, he's just um...shy. Yeah that's all. Anyways, my name's Mizuki Rai. I'm the Ultimate Comedian." She then pointed towards Jiro. "And this is Jiro Kinoshita." 

The other boy waited. When it seemed like nothing else was coming, he spoke.

"Don't you need talent to become an Ultimate?" He asked, somewhat knowingly.

"I don't....remember it...." Jiro said, averting his eyes to the ground. 

He could feel the other boy still staring at him. It was more than off putting.

"Uh Huh. Okay then. Well, I guess I have to introduce myself too. The name's **Nao Windrider. Ultimate Whistleblower**. Now can you two leave me alone?"

(He was an slim boy with bright red hair that was swept to the side like it was permanently stuck next to a fan. He had red eyes and he had tattoos above his right eye and below his left eye. His outfit was a tight black long sleeved somewhat collared shirt with red insides. His pants were the same design.)

Jiro forced himself to keep a retort from leaving his mouth.

"Okay...l-let's just move on..." He said, turning towards Mizuki. She nodded and waved goodbye to the 'whistleblower', who didn't even acknowledge her.

This, however, didn't really seem too bother her.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

"Hey, Kinoshita-san? Are you alright? You were looking a little pale back there." Mizuki said, looking towards her companion in concern. 

Jiro sighed and unconsciously began to scratch the side of his nose again.

"I'm just not very good with people. Especially people like...that." Jiro explain, briefly glancing back at Nao.

Mizuki giggled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be intimidated by people like him. I'm almost positive that his last name is completely made up. But I guess that would make sense since he's a whistleblower." She said. 

Jiro only nodded in response. He didn't protest this time when she took his hand and led him towards another person.

This time, it was a girl. She noticed their approach and turned to face them with a polite smile. 

When they got close to this girl, Jiro picked up the smell of....was that lavender?

"Hello. I can already tell that you can smell the lavender on me, so I'll go ahead and introduce myself to explain. My name is **Sai Nekoshara, The Ultimate Aromatherapist.** "

(She was about as tall as Mizuki and she had long wavy black hair held mostly off her face by a purple headband. She had beautiful hazel eyes. She wore a brown long sleeved blazer over a white collared shirt. She wore a brown skirt and knee-length black leggings. On her side, she had a matching brown messenger bag.) 

"Oh. You smell really nice...." Jiro trailed off as his words slowly sank in. His entire face flushed red. He grabbed his hood and quickly pulled it over his head and over his face.

"I-I'm so sorry...that sounded very creepy..." he apologized quickly. 

Sai couldn't help but break into a fit of giggling. Mizuki also began to laugh as well. 

Jiro shyly peeked out from under his hood.

"Ahaha~ I really don't mind what you said. I hear it a lot since I carry a lot of aroma oils on me." Sai said. She reached into her pocket and held out two different labeled bottles. One was lavender and the other was jasmine.

"Well, now that you introduced yourself, we'll do the same. I'm Mizuki Rai, Ultimate Comedian and this is Jiro Kinoshita. He doesn't remember his talent right now." The Comedian said.

"It's very nice to meet you both. And I hope you regain memory of your talent, Kinoshita-kun. Oh, I actually might have something that could help with this." Sai said, reaching into her pocket, she pulled out another small bottle and examining the label.

After she was sure about what it was, she unscrewed the top. She dabbed a few drops on her fingers and screwed the cap back on.

"Excuse me." She said. She reached out and rubbed the oil on either side of Jiro's neck, much to his embarrassment.

"There you go. This one is peppermint. It's supposed to help with memory as well as confidence." Sai explained.

The smell was quite strong for Jiro but he didn't particularly mind that much. It was somewhat endearing.

"Ah...th-thank you." Jiro said, looking away shyly.

Sai nodded.

"It's no problem. It was nice to meet both of you, but I'm guessing that you have other people to meet." She said, smiling.

Mizuki nodded. 

"I think we need to a'roam'around now." She said.

Sai blinked before giggling softly.

"Quite the comedian, I see." She said.

Mizuki stuck her tongue out playfully.

"I guess you could say that it's a talent of mine."

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

The two of them waved goodbye to the aromatherapist and moved on. Jiro's eyes were focused on the ground.

Mizuki casually glanced over at Jiro before speaking.

"I'm guessing that you aren't very good with girls." She teased/guessed.

Jiro sighed and pulled his hood further onto his head.

"I'm not very good with people in general...." he murmured.

Mizuki nodded and smiled sympathetically.

"Well don't worry. I'll do most of the talking for the both of us. After all, talking is what I do best." She said.

Jiro nodded thankfully.

The next students that they approached were a very odd pair. It was a boy and a girl but when they approached them, the boy immediately stood in front of the girl protectively.

"State your purpose." He demanded.

Mizuki laughed awkwardly before speaking.

"W-We just came to introduce ourselves." She explained.

The boy narrowed his eyes at them in suspicion.

"Fine. But do it quickly." He instructed.

They both nodded.

"Well...I'm Mizuki Rai, the Ultimate Comedian, and this is Jiro Kinoshita. Who are you two?" She asked.

Just the simple aura that this boy gave off was enough to make Jiro want to run away.

The boy seemed to be scanning them, as if trying to figure something out.

"Hmph. My name is **Gin Kojima, The Ultimate Bodyguard.** "

(He was a taller and more muscular boy. He had spiky pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He wore a black(outlined with red)jacket that had the collar lined with fluffy white fur. He wore a black undershirt and black pants. He also wore black fingerless gloves)

"And this is-" Gin was cut off by the girl behind him gently nudging his arm. He looked over at her in confusion. 

Not a word was said between the two and Gin nodded. The girl moved in front of him.

"My name is **Leiko Tsukiko, the Ultimate Transfer Student.** "

(This was a much shorter girl. She had long curly brown hair and gray eyes. She wore a sleeveless white collared shirt under a dark purple jacket. She had an almost knee length pale pink skirt that had black suspenders connected to both sides and over her shoulders. She also wore dark purple knee length stockings)

' _Tsukiko?_ ' He wondered.

Leiko looked over at Gin with a smile, whos face remained the same.

"Sorry if Gin is a bit cold." She said, returning her gaze towards them. 

"It's no big deal. He's not the first cold person we've met so far." Mizuki waved her off.

Leiko nodded. She took a step back. Gin moved in front of her again. He bowed to the two in front of them.

"Nice to meet you two. Please be on your way." He said.

Mizuki nodded and didn't hesitate to pull Jiro away with her.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

"Huh. They were definitely....odd. To say the least." Mizuki said, keeping her voice down a bit.

"I was more concerned by the girls talent. 'Ultimate Transfer Student'? There has to be some history behind that." Jiro said, glancing towards the comedian.

Mizuki smiled playfully. 

"How about we worry about that later." She suggested. 

Jiro sighed and nodded hesitantly.

As they approached the next person, they noticed something rather odd about this one.

She was shaking.

And not the kind of shaking you get from stage fright or stuff like that, but she was basically twitching. Every few second, another one of her body parts would jerk in a random direction.

Mizuki and Jiro quickly exchanged a look, but of course, each of them had a completely different idea. 

And Jiro's did not involve walking towards twitching girl.

Nonetheless, he found himself being dragged towards the girl by his arm once more.

"Hey! Um....are you....alright?" Mizuki asked the other girl.

The other girl stopped twitching suddenly then jump like she was startled. It was delayed.

"Hu-h? Oh. M-ore peop-le....May-be not..." Often when this girl spoke, she would stop in the middle of a word and then pick it up a second later like she hadn't paused at all. She also seemed to be talking to herself.

' _Why do I have the feeling that this isn't the weirdest individual that I've met?_ ' He asked himself.

Mizuki seemed confused by the girls actions but she decided to continue.

"Okay...well my name's Mizuki Rai, and this is Jiro Kinoshita. Can you tell us your name?" She asked.

The girl turned towards them with a look of confusion. She stopped moving completely for about a solid minute. Then she sighed.

"Th-ey...want to kn-ow....n-ow?" After she finished her conversation with herself, she looked back at them.

"I am the **Ulti-mate Technic-ian. M-y name is K-aze Ookami.** "

(She was an average sized girl with wide pale red eyes and gray, almost white hair that was pulled into a ponytail and sticking up in multiple places. She wore a pale yellow short sleeved sailor uniform with a black tie and white top. She wore a knee length black skirt)

"A technician? That's a bit shocking. But anyways, it was nice to meet you." Mizuki said casually. 

Jiro side glanced Mizuki. He couldn't stop the snort that he made. The comedian began giggling as well.

Kaze stared at the two of them with a blank look. She wondered why they were laughing. Did she say something?

"O-kay....what are y-our talent's?" The technician asked.

Mizuki turned her head back towards Kaze.

"Well, I'm the Ultimate Comedian. As for Kinoshita-san, he doesn't remember his talent right now." She explained.

This seemed to get Kaze's attention.

"You d-on't rememb-er? Did yo-u hit your he-ad?" She asked.

"I really don't know. I just kind of woke up..." Jiro explained.

Kaze stared at him. For some, terrifying reason, nothing but her eyes moved as she scanned him up and down.

"Nice to m-eet both of yo-u." She said, looking to the side.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

The two of them walked away from the girl after saying goodbye. Jiro glanced at Mizuki.

"You sure do love puns, huh?" 

Mizuki turned to him with a dead serious face.

"More than life itself."

He snorted again. He couldn't say he absolutely hated her company.

They approached the next person. The first thing Jiro noticed was that this guy seemed to be in a world of his own. He was bobbing slightly. 

Mizuki cleared her throat, grabbing his attention. He turned to them with a friendly smile.

" _What's up dudes? It's clear,_

_thanks to my deduction_

_That you came here for my introduction._ " 

Both of them blinked in confusion. Did he just rap?

"I like your style. We did come for introductions. My name's Mizuki, and this is Kinoshita-san." She began.

The other boy nodded. He was still bobbing like he was listening to some imaginary music.

" _It's true that **Ryo Shigeru** might not be dapper_

 _But that wouldn't make him the **Ultimate Rapper.**_ "

(He was a tall boy with long brown hair that was dreadlocked and pulled into a ponytail. He had a stubbly chin. He had brown skin and it was hard to see what collar his eyes were because of his large orange sunglasses. He has long black pants and he wears a loose short sleeved light orange collared shirt with the collar popped up a bit. The shirt was unbuttoned besides the top button so he was basically shirtless. In his pocket, he had a pale purple tie dangling from it.) 

"Ultimate Rapper, Huh? Sounds festive." Mizuki said, smiling.

The rapper smiled and nodded. 

"Is it easy to come up with rhymes in the whim?" Jiro suddenly asked, but he was genuinely curious.

Ryo shook his head in response. That was his only answer to the question. He looked up at the ceiling. Everything about this guy was just so...at ease. 

He didn't look like he had a single care in the world. Must be nice. It's like forever being relaxed.

While Jiro had spaced out for a few minutes, Mizuki and Ryo had a small conversation. 

And by 'conversation', he meant Mizuki was the only one talking while Ryo listened, occasionally nodding or shaking his head in response.

Jiro didn't want to butt into their conversation, so he stayed quiet. But eventually, he began to grow restless, since they hadn't made any progress.

He looked up and accidentally locked eyes with Ryo. It felt like a long time till they broke eye contact. Although couldn't actually see Ryo's eyes, courtesy of his sunglasses, but he was certain that he was still looking at him.

The next thing that left the rapper's mouth was a bit unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome.

" _For the sake of time, our talk has to end._

 _But I hope in the future, I can be your friend._ " He offered.

Mizuki nodded in agreement. She waved goodbye to him.

"See you around. Let's go, Kinoshita-san." She said, grabbed his hand.

Jiro glanced back at Ryo, raising an eyebrow in confusion. All he receive was a nod of understanding from the rapper.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

They began to make their way to the next people. 

Jiro was still staring at the floor, mostly to avoid the concerned look that Mizuki gave him.

They approached two girl who didn't seem to be talking. They only seemed to....tolerate each other's existences.

One of them watched as they approached and sent a lazy smile their way.

"Hello."

"...hi."

Jiro was momentarily confused by how little both girls said.

"Um, hey. We came to introduce ourselves to you. I hope you can spare a minute." Mizuki said.

One of them nodded lazily while the other tilted their head to the side.

"My name's Mizuki, and this is Kinoshita-san." She said.

One of the girls took a step forwards first.

"Ara~, it's nice to meet you both. The boy is definitely cute. My name is **Guren Isukama, The Ultimate Illusionist.** "

(She was a girl with long wavy pale pink hair and dark green eyes. She was slightly tan as well. She wore a pink frilly shirt that exposed her shoulders and was held up by two black straps. She wore a layered skirt that was pink and dark pink. She also wore dark pink leg warmers but her right one was significantly shorter than the other. She also has silver earring shaped like moons)

Jiro's face became bright red and he pulled his hood over his face, again. Mizuki laughed lightly. She turned to the second girl.

"What about you?" 

The girl looked at her with a blank expression.

" **Haku Fuyuna. Ultimate Contortionist.** "

(She had long white hair that was draped over one of her eyes and her hair touched her shoulders. She had pale skin and orange eyes. She wore a simple sleeveless shirt tucked into a knee length black skirt with brown knee length boots)

"Wow! You're a contortionist? Isn't that tough?" Mizuki asked.

Haku shook her head.

"Not at all. If you know what you're doing, it becomes like a second nature." She said simply.

Jiro, was currently having a hard time focusing due to Guren staring at him. His entire body was ridged as he continuously checked if she was still watching him.

"Hey, Jiro-kun? Why do you have your hood over your face?" Guren asked suddenly.

He jumped slightly when she used his first name. 

"Um...cause...u-um...." he couldn't seem to find the right words. 

Everything in his mind was telling him that this girl was trying to do something.

' _The Ultimate Illusionist? Does she create them herself?_ ' He wondered.

When he looked up at her, he froze when she locked eyes with him. There was a smirk on her face. 

Jiro felt a sense of dread rising in his chest. The longer he stared at her blue eyes, the worse he felt. 

He winched as he felt a pounding sensation in the back of his head. It began to grow worse and it became more like a stabbing sensation. 

The world around him turned stark white. The boy looked around in a blind panic. Where was he? What was happening?!

Jiro stared ahead into the white realm.

Wait. He could see something.

He began walking forward, and the object came closer. He widened his eyes as he realized what it was. Or more specifically, who it was.

"M-Mom...?" Jiro called out.

The figure on the ground didn't move. He knew exactly why. She was laying on a puddle of blood. 

He felt it again. This time, it wasn't a pounding or stabbing sensation in his head. 

No, it was a ripping sensation. It felt like someone was shredding his brain. 

Jiro gripped either side of his head with his hands, trying to ignore the pain. Without knowing it, he began screaming. After all, he was in excruciating pain. How could he not scream?

"...an?"

He thrashed around wildly. Tears sprung from his eyes. 

"....oshita-san..?!"

Why was this happening? What was going on? How much longer could he continue? He was hyperventilating.

"Jiro-san!!"

Just like that, Jiro was back in the ballroom. But now, he was on the floor. It took his eyes a few seconds to focus completely, but when they did, he realized was surrounded by concerned faces.

He looked between all of them. Some of them, he recognized, but a couple of them were new.

"Wha....what....happened....?" Jiro asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. 

"Well, you suddenly began hyperventilating and fell to the ground while crying." Haku explained.

"Did....did something happen?" Mizuki asked, sharing her own look of concern.

Jiro suddenly scanned the faces around him. He finally stopped as he locked eyes with the Ultimate Illusionist. 

She had something to do with this. He knew that for a fact.

"Hm? Is there something on my face, Jiro-kun?" Guren asked, tilting her head to the side.

Slowly, almost unwillingly, he found himself shaking his head.

"N-No...I'm just a little disoriented." He mumbled.

Guren moved forwards and held her hand out to Jiro. She had a sympathetic smile on her face, like she knew that he had seen something horrible. 

He reached out and took her hand, surprised by her strength.

One by one, the students began to wander off and do their own thing once more. 

Jiro widened his eyes as he was suddenly pulled into a hug. He looked at Mizuki in confusion.

"I'm so glad you're okay! That scared me so much!" She exclaimed.

He stood as still as a statue, unsure of what to do.

Finally, the comedian pulled away.

"Let's keep going. I'm sure you don't wanna talk about what just happened so let's distract you." She suggested.

Jiro was thankful for this. He nodded and smiled weakly.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

They waved goodbye to the two girls. Jiro couldn't find it in himself to look at Guren. He shivered slightly and continued moving. 

The next person that they approached was a boy. It was obvious that he was a foreigner, due to his appearance. 

"Hello." Mizuki greeted.

The boy perked up and seems to copy Mizuki's greeting. If it wasn't his looks that gave it away, it was definitely the way he spoke that did.

" _Hola_ \- I mean, Hello. Nice to meet you two." He said, smiling.

"My name's Mizuki, and this is Jiro-san. What's your name?" She asked.

The boy opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it a second later. He seemed to be contemplating something before speaking.

"Er- my name is **Itsuki...Kudo, The Ultimate Tailor!** "

(He was very tall boy with blonde neat hair under a black fedora. He had red eyes and a red and black checkered bandanna around his neck. He wore a plain white tshirt and black pants and held a puffy blue vent over her shoulder.)

"Um...I'm sorry if I'm crossing a line here, but are you a foreigner?" Jiro asked quietly.

Itsuki seemed to freeze in place. He chuckled awkwardly shook his head.

"No, I am from here! I am Japanese." He said.

' _He doesn't look Japanese, but he has a Japanese name. He's definitely lying about something._ ' 

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kudo-kun. Being a tailor must be fun!" Mizuki said, smiling brightly. 

Itsuki's whole face seemed to light up at the mere mention of his talent.

" _Si_! It is definitely fun! It takes a great deal of patience sometimes but it is worth it for the end results!" The tailor exclaimed excitedly.

Mizuki giggled at the enthusiasm.

" _Por cierto_ , What are your talents?" He asked.

"Oh, well I'm the Ultimate Comedian. And Jiro-san can't remember his talent right now." Mizuki explained, glancing back at her silent companion.

Itsuki tilted his head to the side.

" _Que_? Could it be a form of amnesia, perhaps?" He suggested.

Jiro shrunk back as the taller boy approached him, their faces only inches apart.

"U-um...I guess....could you....back up?" Jiro asked.

Itsuki seemed confused before he looked around. He finally realized that he was too close to Jiro. He chuckled and back up.

" _Lo siento_. I tend to do that sometimes." He admitted. 

Jiro only nodded and pulled his hood more over his face.

Mizuki giggled and reached out towards Jiro. She grabbed his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

Itsuki tilted his hat to them.

"It seems you have more people to meet. I will leave you to it." He said, biding them farewell.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

They watched the tailor walk off, standing in silence for a moment.

"Yeah, he definitely isn't Japanese." Mizuki said suddenly.

Jiro sighed and nodded his head.

"Yeah..."

They began to approach the next student. But they were hesitant to talk to him. No, it wasn't because of his appearance....mostly...but it was because of the two birdcages that hung from both of his arms. In each cage, there were two birds.

When they got close, the birds began chirping loudly and flapping their wings spastically. The boy that held them raised his head and smiled at them. 

He was blindfolded.

"Ah, more people? That is good. Very good. Don't be shy. You can ask me anything." He said. Something about his voice was incredibly off putting. 

It made Jiro shiver.

"W-Well, I'm Mizuki, and I have my friend here named Jiro-san." The comedian introduced nervously.

The boy nodded slowly. His birds began chirping again, leading to him raising the cages up to his ears. He looked like he was listening to the birds. He nodded and lowered the cages again.

"Hmm, I see....my name is **Hiroto Yokoyama. I'm called the Ultimate Birdkeeper.** "

(Another tall boy with neat-ish blonde hair. He had a black blindfold tied around his eyes. He wore a brown explorers jacket with multiple pockets and matching brown pants. He also wore a black choker. He wore a gray undershirt too)

"Oh, a birdkeeper? I guess that explains a lot. Are these little guys your pets?" Mizuki asked, kneeling down in front of one of the cages.

Hiroto shifted ever so slightly.

"Pets? Oh, no no no. They are more than pets! They are my friends." The birdkeeper stated.

Mizuki stood back up and nodded slowly.

"Alright then. It was nice to meet you, but we have to move on." Mizuki said.

Hiroto nodded.

"It was nice to meet you two as well." He said.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

They both decided that it was best to not speak about how odd that encounter was. 

They moved on to the next student, who looking to be fiddling with some kind of gadget. He was mumbling to himself as well.

"Hello." Mizuki said.

The boy stopped what he was doing and looked towards then. The only word to describe the look on his face was just 'disgust'.

"At what point did it seem acceptable to speak to me?" He asked, irritated.

Mizuki held up her hands in surrender and quickly laughed it off.

"We just wanted to meet you. We'll get out of your hair when we're done." She explained.

The boy let out a huff and placed his gadget down. He crossed his arms and turned towards them.

"Do I really even need to introduce myself? But you two do seem dumb enough not to know who I am. I am **Benjiro Arai, The Ultimate Creator.** "

(He’s a boy with neat brown and slightly spiky hair and has blue eyes. He has a small top hat fashioned on the side of his head. He wears a brown vest and a red long sleeved collared shirt underneath. He wears brown and red striped bellbottom pants. He has a black jack slung over his shoulder)

"Arai? Oh! Doesn't your father own a toy company?" Mizuki asked.

Benjiro narrowed his eyes angrily.

"No! I own a toy company!" He declared, stomping his foot down like an angry child.

Mizuki took a step back.

"O-Ok. Sorry about the misunderstanding." She said, nervously.

Benjiro scoffed and turned his head away.

"Whatever. Leave me now. I have nothing left to say to you lowlifes." He said.

Both of them didn't hesitate to leave the creator be. They were just about done with him.

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

"People like him are the reason why I'm an introvert." Jiro grumbled once Benjiro was out of earshot.

Mizuki nudged his arm playfully.

"Come on. Don't be like that. Let's just keep going." She said.

They approached a girl who looked rather...medieval. When they got close to her, she whipped around, startling both of them.

"Who dares approach me? Oh? Two young travelers? Have you come in search of my name? Well, I don't give it out so easily, but since you two had the courage to approach me, I suppose I will grace you with it. Remember my name, for I am **Chiyo Namida!** The species of this lowly world refer to me as the **Ultimate Wood Carver!** "

(She was a bombastic girl with messy long brown hair and piercing red eyes. She wore a large red cloak with a hood. Underneath, she wore a skintight black laced and dark purple colored dress that stopped at her lower thighs. She also wore similar colored leggings)

Her golden eyes seemed to pierce right through Jiro's thought track. His mind went blank.

"I see. You are speechless in the presence of a powerful sorceress. It don't blame you. Many have the will to fall to their knees when they approach me." Chiyo said, rather arrogantly.

She had a smug look on her face but that didn't change her intense aura.

"W-Well, I'm Mizuki, and this is Jiro-san. It's nice to....um...m-meet you." Mizuki said.

Chiyo had her eyes locked on Jiro.

"You there. Were you not the human that caused a ruckus earlier?" She asked.

Jiro shrank back slightly.

"Y-Yes....sorry..." he mumbled.

"Hmm. It appears that you left your soul open for the taking. Human's are so easily manipulated. Not just by spirits, but by themselves as well." Chiyo said, smirking. 

Jiro didn't know how to respond to that. What was he supposed to even say?

_(Received Hope Fragment)_

"Now then, turn your eyes forwards. The nekomata has shown its face to us once more." The wood carver said.

Both of them were confused by this until they heard a loud voice.

" _ **Alright! Now that you all had time to meet each other, it's time for the next task! Time to split up into groups and explore the mansion!**_ " Monokitty announced.

The students looked around them. 

" _ **This will be a great bonding exercise and a chance to scope out the land! Once you think you've had enough exploring, then meet me in the dining hall!**_ " Then Monokitty was gone.

Split up into groups? Before he had anymore time to think about it, Mizuki linked their arms tighter.

"I call Jiro-san!" She declared.

Jiro pulled his hood down over his eyes to avoid the looks they were given.

He groaned mentally as he was dragged off by the comedian, presumably to go find more people to join their group.


	3. Why Are We Here Again?

"Alright, where should we go first?" Mizuki asked.

It took Jiro a moment to realize that she was talking to him. He simply shrugged in response.

They had decided to group with Ryo and Chiyo. Mostly because everyone else was off doing their own thing. 

"I don't see the reward that comes from this expedition. Why explore this place when we aren't even aware how we got here in the first place?" Chiyo inquired, looking around.

"I think it's best if we just explore anyways. Monokitty will probably tell us more afterwards. After all, didn't she say something about this being our temporary school or something?" Mizuki asked.

Ryo nodded, his smile still on his face. He didn't seem to be bothered much about their circumstance.

"L-Let's just go...the sooner we start, the sooner we get some answers." Jiro said, beginning to walk forwards.

-

Not too long later, they approached a pair of wooden double doors. Chiyo decided to take the lead and threw the doors open.

(A large room with books on all sides. In the center, there was a few couches and a small table for reading.)

"Ah, this must be the library. I've never seen such a big one before." Mizuki said, looked around the room in awe. 

Jiro, didn't seem as impressed as the others. He looked rather neutral about the layout.

Chiyo flitted around the room rather quickly, while scanning different bookshelves.

"This is quite the large chamber for human knowledge. Alas, the mind of a mortal is too simple to be able to comprehend such extensive incantations." The woodcarver said, hanging off one of the ladders.

"How did you...get there..?" Jiro asked, having not seen Chiyo move.

"I moved here. Obviously." The girl responded.

Jiro sighed heavily.

He didn't see the point of being so careless in a place like this. They woke up, without much of a clue of how they got there in the first place. And their only explanation was given to them by a mechanical plush cat.

He was shaken from his thoughts as someone nudged him. He looked over and wasn't surprised to see Mizuki there, staring at him in concern.

"Everything alright, Jiro-san?" 

Jiro nodded. 

"I just don't think it's very efficient to stay in one room for very long. We have this whole mansion to go through, but I doubt we actually will. We still have to find the dining hall and get some answers from that cat thing." The boy rambled, unaware of how fast he was speaking.

Mizuki blinked. 

"Um...okay, let's pretend I understood all of that, word for word. How about while we're exploring around, we keep an eye out for the dining hall. That way, we don't have to explore everything." She said, sounding somewhat confused.

Jiro pushed his hood off and put his hands back into his pockets.

"I guess that's the best we can do for now." He said.

They both looked back towards Chiyo, who at first glance, appeared to be examining a book on the shelf. However, it became clear that she was actually examining the shelf itself.

"Namida-san? What's wrong?" Mizuki asked, trying to see what Chiyo was so concerned about.

The comedian yelped in surprise when the other girl suddenly spun around to face her.

"As a sorceress that has been reawakened for centuries, I have come to confine my power into things such as woodwork. I have also developed the useless ability to identify the material that I am given. However, it seems that I cannot figure out what material has made these shelves. It seems my memory has forsaken me." The woodcarver said.

"Huh. I guess that is pretty strange." Mizuki said, pretending like she understood what the self proclaimed sorceress had just said.

Jiro finally decided to speak up.

"Lets just keep going guys." He said, heading towards the doors.

-

"Huh? What's wrong, Shigeru-kun?" Mizuki asked. She noticed that the rapper had stopped walking.

Ryo was gazing at something outside the window. He turned his attention back towards the group and shook his head. His smile never left.

They decided to dismiss it for now. Jiro had taken the lead, mostly so that he could have a better chance looking for the dining hall.

However, he suddenly felt something slam into his side. The air was knocked out of him as he fell to the ground. He looked up at his assailant.

"...huh? Ookami-san?" Jiro wheezed as he gasped for air.

If his memory served him correctly, then this was indeed the Ultimate Technician. But...she seems a lot different then when he met her. She wasn't even shaking anymore.

"Jiro-san? Are you alright?" Mizuki said, offering a hand out to the fallen boy.

He nodded and took it, muttering a quiet thank you to the comedian.

Jiro returned his gaze back towards Kaze.

"Wh-What were you...doing?" He asked hesitantly.

He stepped back when the girl moved suddenly, displaying a wide smile.

(Her outfit was different too. It looks like the sleeves have been torn off her top and her skirt was slightly shorter)

"Wow! You really can't take a hit, huh? I don't know who you are but you aren't athletic at all. You should join me in running laps around this place! This is my fifth run!" She proudly admitted.

Jiro's jaw dropped slightly. Fifth time?! But they only left the ballroom like ten minutes ago!

"Wait, what do you mean you don't know him? We introduced ourselves to you in the ballroom." Mizuki pointed out.

The technician tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Ooooohh. I get it now! You didn't meet me! You met Kaze!" The girl exclaimed like she just solved a puzzle.

Jiro and Mizuki exchanged a look of confusion.

"But...isn't that you?" Jiro questioned.

The girl shook her head, rather quickly, making Jiro feel a bit dizzy.

"My name's **Haise**! I'm Kaze's sister!" She exclaimed proudly, moving forwards.

Jiro made a small squeaking noise as Haise's face was directly in front of his. He glanced to the side, silently praying that Mizuki would save him.

"Careful with him, Haise-kun. He's a shy one." The comedian said, causing the technician to step away.

"Aw! Cute! You won't last very long on your own!" She said, oh so casually.

Jiro cringed and lowered his head.

"Anyways, I gotta keep running! Don't run into any walls!" Haise winked at Jiro then sped off down the hallway.

"Whom was that? They possessed an abnormal amount of energy for a mortal." Chiyo asked, approaching them.

Ryo followed up behind her, still bobbing happily.

"Um...She said her name was Haise but we met a similar looking girl earlier with a different personality that introduced herself as Kaze. So...I don't really know." Mizuki said sheepishly.

Chiyo looked off in the direction that Haise went and narrowed her eyes.

"I sense a terrible power in that girl. As a sorceress, I have to discover the magic that she withholds." The woodcarver began walking in the direction that Haise was last seen. 

Jiro blinked in confusion and watched the girl walk away until she disappeared around the corner.

"I'm beginning to question the mental states of these Ultimate's. A part of me wishes that I'm not one." He said.

Mizuki giggled and gently nudged him.

"Welp, it does take a lot to be the best of the best at what you do. Becoming an Ultimate takes hard work and practice. Sometimes it takes sacrifice.." Mizuki trailed off.

She perked up again and laughed nervously.

"A-Anyways! We should probably keep going. Come on, Shigeru-kun!" The comedian said quickly to the boy behind them.

She grabbed Jiro's hand and began to drag him down the hallway quickly.

-

The group walked in silence for awhile. Jiro could feel the tension in the air. He wanted to say something to Mizuki but nothing came to mind.

"Hm? Whoa. Look at this." Mizuki stopped in her tracks and stared at one of the rooms.

(Wall to walk was filled with extravagant paintings along with sculptures sitting on pedestals.) 

"T-This must be the gallery. There's a bunch of famous paintings here. Makes me wonder who owns this place..." Jiro said, scanning the paintings along the walls.

Mizuki stared up at one of the paintings in the center of the rest. It was a large painting of Monokitty. 

"That's..terrifying...." Mizuki said, staring at the portrait with wide eyes.

"I know, right?" Jiro agreed, smiling at the comedian. 

"Oh! Hello. I'm glad I found you three. I got separated from my group." 

Jiro turned towards the voice and was instantly met with the smell of lavender. 

"Ah, Nekoshara-san. You're welcome to join our group if you want." Jiro offered.

Sai smiled at him, causing him to blush. 

"Thank you, Kinoshita-kun. I hope I'm not too much of a bother." The aromatherapist said.

Mizuki smiled at Sai and shook her head.

"It's fine. We were just about to leave so you're lucky that we were still here." The comedian said.

Sai nodded. She glanced around the room in mild interest. She raised her head slightly and sniffed the air. 

Jiro watched the girl in confusion. He only realized that he was staring at her when she met eyes with him.

His face turned dark red and he averted his eyes to the side. He opened his mouth to stutter out an apology but he was beaten to it.

"Alright. Let's get going. We're still looking for the dining hall. Come on, guys." Mizuki said, beckoning for the other three to follow her. 

Jiro nodded and followed Mizuki out of the room. Sai and Ryo followed closely behind him.

After a few minutes of walking, Sai trotted up beside Jiro.

"Kinoshita-kun, do you still not remember your talent?" 

Jiro nodded.

"I still haven't got a clue. It's kinda confusing, being surrounded by Ultimate's when I don't know if I'm one of them. I could just be some normal person that was thrown into this by mistake." He said, scratching the side of his nose as he rambled.

Sai nodded along as he continued to speak. He was surprised by how she seemed genuinely interested in what he was saying.

"Jiro-san. You're talking pretty fast." Mizuki said, throwing a smile back to him.

Jiro took a deep breath and sighed.

"Sorry. I tend to ramble a lot." He apologized.

"That's fine. I think it's interesting that you think so deeply about things. You definitely have the general knowledge of an Ultimate." Sai answered.

"R-really? I don't know what talent would require this much in-depth thinking. I noticed how I overthink a lot of things and try to find deeper meanings behind the small things." He was rambling again.

Jiro stopped when he heard a quiet giggle. His face turned bright red again as he glanced over at the aromatherapist.

"You're really passionate, Kinoshita-kun. That's something that I can really appreciate about you." 

Jiro nodded and pulled his hood over his head. One thing that he was not good at was taking compliments.

"Oh, did I make you uncomfortable? I apologize." Sai said quickly.

"A-Ah! N-No you didn't! I'm just....shy..." he sputtered.

Sai blinked at him before smiling softly.

"Oh, I understand now." 

Jiro nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets.

-

"Rai-san, do you know where we're going?" Sai asked after awhile.

Mizuki shook her head. 

"I never know where I'm going. I just hope it's somewhere interesting." The comedian mused.

The group continued down the hallway. After a few more minutes, Mizuki stopped in the center of the hallway. Jiro nearly ran right into her by accident.

"M-Mizuki-san? Is everything okay?" He asked.

Mizuki seemed to snap out of her trance and looked back at Jiro.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine! I just thought I heard something strange." She said sheepishly.

-

"Is this the front door? So we actually can get outside?" Jiro asked.

They stood in front of a set of large wooden double doors. They were outlined with gold and had silver handles.

"Only one way to find out."

Without another word, Mizuki threw the doors open. Jiro hissed quietly as the sunlight filtered through the doorway. It was definitely a big difference from the dull lighting in the mansion.

(Vast greenery and pathways as far as they could see from where they were)

"Holy hell its bright out here!" Mizuki said, using one of her hands to shield her eyes from the harsh sunlight. 

Sai walked past them and onto the brick walkway. She looked around, scanning.

Ryo followed after her. He took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed in satisfaction.

Jiro hesitantly stepped outside, pulling his hood over his eyes. He stared at what he assumed was the front yard. He had to admit that it was kind of pretty.

He approached one of the flower bushes and gazed down at the colorful flower that grew in it. 

It was a rose. Nothing much. Just a simple rose. That shouldn't have been weird to him. Nothing strange about a flower. 

But the longer Jiro stared at the red plant, the more confused he became.

' _This......why isn't there any thorns?_ '

"Jiro-san! You have to take a look at this!" 

Jiro tore his gaze away from the rose bush and looked towards Mizuki. The girl was quite far away from him.

He dropped what he was doing and walking over to the comedian.

"What is it?" He asked, standing next to her.

Mizuki said nothing. She simply pointed. Jiro followed her finger to find what she was indicating. 

He widened his eyes and scanned from side to side.

The ocean surrounded them.

"Are we....on an island?" Jiro asked, incredulous.

Mizuki shrugged.

"Looks like it. I can't even see any other land from here." She added.

"It's almost as if they don't want us to leave."

Jiro and Mizuki both jumped back and screamed at the sudden voice from behind them. 

A chorus of furious chirping began then died out as soon as it started.

"O-Oh. Yokoyama-kun. You are....very stealthy." Mizuki said, still a bit shaken from the scare.

The bird keeper tilted his head to the side. 

"Thank you." 

Jiro glanced over at Mizuki briefly. From what he could tell, she didn't exactly say that as a compliment.

Hiroto's head snapped up suddenly, causing both of them to flinch. He looked off to the left for a moment before facing them once more.

"Have you explored the rest of the island yet?" He asked.

"Oh...so it is an island, huh?" Mizuki mumbled.

"I'm not certain. But I've walked along the edge of the water and ended up back where I started. So I assume that we are cut off from the rest of society." Hiroto said.

"That's an....interesting way to put it. But I guess that confirms our island theory." She said, turning to Jiro.

Jiro nodded and kept his head down.

"Does my presence make you uneasy? If so, I will leave." The bird keeper said.

Before Jiro could protest, the other boy turned and began heading back towards the mansion. He sighed in defeat.

"You good?" 

"Not really, but I think I'll live." 

"Good enough for me. Do you wanna go back inside? We can continue looking for the dining hall if you want." She offered.

Jiro nodded thankfully.

"Yes please. But what about Shigeru-san and Nekoshara-san?" He asked.

"I think they're both off doing their own things." Mizuki said.

"Is it okay to leave them on their own?" 

"If a blind kid holding two cages full of birds can walk around the island without getting harmed, I think they're fine." The comedian joked.

Jiro sighed and nodded. They began to make their way back to the mansion. 

Even though he was reluctant to make friends with Mizuki at first, he was slowly warming up to her. 

-

"Wait. Do you hear that?" Mizuki asked, stopping in the middle of the hallway again.

Jiro took a moment to listen. He could hear something. It sounded like people talking. The two approached a door and Mizuki pulled it open. 

(A room full of arcade machines and slot machines as well as other games)

The second that they walked into the room, the voices stopped dead. They were met with two pairs of eyes staring at them.

"Um...did we....interrupt something?" Mizuki asked, trying to break the silence.

She and Jiro watched as the Ultimate Bodyguard and Ultimate Transfer Student look at each other before turning back towards them.

"Yes."

"No."

They looked at each other for another moment then turned back again to the new arrivals.

"No."

"Yes."

They both sighed in defeat.

"You're...Kojima-san and Tsukiko-san, right? I hope we didn't actually interrupt anything." Mizuki said.

Gin glanced at Leiko before speaking.

"You weren't. I'm sorry if we confused you." He said, bowing.

Jiro had his eyes on Leiko. Something about her was strange to him. 

"You there. Stop staring at Tsukiko-sa...san." Gin said, glaring daggers at Jiro.

The poor boy said a quiet apology and took a step behind Mizuki.

The comedian sent a sympathetic smile back towards Jiro.

Seeing this exchange, Gin's expression softened a bit. 

"Now, why are you two here?" The bodyguard asked.

"Well, we were searching around for the dining hall and we heard people talking in here. So we went in. I'm surprised that this place has its own gaming room." Mizuki said, looking around at the different arcade games.

"I was too. I've never been to an arcade before so I wanted to see what it was all about. I've heard that they're fun." Leiko joined in the conversation. 

The transfer student stepped out in front of Gin.

"I've been to a few of them before. Have you really never been to one? Ever?!" Mizuki asked in awe.

Leiko giggled nervously. Gin took a step forwards.

"I've had a very abnormal life. I didn't really have much time to go to places like arcade's." She explained.

"Same with me." Jiro said.

He didn't seem to realize that he had spoken at first until all eyes were on him. He blushed and averted his eyes.

"S-Sorry." He murmured.

"It's alright, Kinoshita-san. You don't need to apologize." Leiko said.

Jiro simply nodded in response.

"Didn't you guys say you were trying to find the dining hall? Do you mind if me and Gin come with you?" The smaller girl asked.

Gin glanced at her then back towards Jiro, waiting for a response.

"U-Um...sure. I-I don't mind." He said.

That was more or less against his will. Something about the way Gin was looking at him made him afraid to say no.

"We're glad to have you guys join us. You two definitely seem very lively." Mizuki said.

Leiko turned back to Gin and whispered something in his ear. He seemed confused for a moment before nodding in response to whatever she had said.

"Ready to go?" Mizuki asked after a moment.

Gin turned towards the comedian and nodded. The group made their way out of the game room and continued down the hallway. 

Leiko stood about a foot away from Gin at all times while Gin continuously glanced back at the girl.

Jiro couldn't help but be intrigued by this interaction. He had already put some of the pieces together in his head.

Gin was Leiko's bodyguard. That much was obvious. However, Jiro couldn't figure out why. Why was the Ultimate Bodyguard protecting the Ultimate Transfer Student. Leiko didn't even have a real talent. So why would someone have an Ultimate protect her?

As he was thinking, he was suddenly yanked to the side, causing him to stumble. 

Mizuki was looking at him in concern as she kept her gentle grip on his arm.

"Jiro-san, I've been trying to get your attention for a minute now. You almost ran right into a wall." She said.

"I-I did? Sorry...I guess I was lost in thought." He mumbled.

Mizuki chuckled and smiled his way.

"Don't be sorry. Just be careful. Can't have you getting hurt. Especially not by the hands of a wall." She joked.

Jiro smiled thankfully and nodded.

' _I guess a friend or two isn't so bad._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a fully pictured version of this story, go find it on my Wattpad at CaramalTiger47


	4. Isn’t This Where The Epic Plot Twist Happens?

"Have you seriously never been to a family restaurant?!" Mizuki asked, clearly shocked.

Leiko smiled softly.

"I haven't. I guess I just haven't had much time to do so." She explained.

Meanwhile, Jiro and Gin stood behind their respective companions and waited for them to finish their conversation. 

Jiro's body was ridged as he stood next to the Ultimate Bodyguard. His face displayed how obviously uncomfortable he felt.

"Are you afraid of me?" Gin asked suddenly.

Jiro stiffened.

"Y-Yes."

"I see..." 

Wait, did he say something wrong? Why did Gin sound unsatisfied with his answer? He probably said something wrong, didn't he?

' _Why am I overthinking something like this?!_ '

"Hey, Jiro-san. I think we found the dining hall!" Mizuki said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He perked up and walked up next to Mizuki. She was holding the door open for him. He thanked her and entered, looking around.

(There was a large long table that stretched across most of the long room lined with chairs.)

"Wow. This place looks so fancy." Leiko said, staring at the large table. 

A few students had already beaten them there.

" _ **Ah, more students have finally made it here! Welcome to the dining hall! Please wait here until the rest of the students have gathered. Then I will give you a basic rundown of how things will be going!**_ " 

Jiro nearly fell over as the mechanical cat appeared beside him. Luckily, Mizuki was there to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Heh. Falling for me already, Jiro-san?" Mizuki teases, winking at the boy in her arms. 

His face flushed red and he scrambled to his feet.

"N-no! Thank you for catching me!" He said, bowing.

Mizuki laughed nervously.

-

An hour or so later, it seemed like all of the students managed to gather themselves in the dining hall. 

Monokitty stood in the center of the table.

" _ **Now that everyone has gathered, I'm here to tell you how we will be spending the next few weeks until the school is in proper condition. I have assigned you all a room and a roommate. You will see your name's on the doors. You will be able to wander the mansion and island as you please but use the buddy system! Every day, breakfast will begin at 7:00 am and dinner will begin at 7:00 pm. I will be around to make sure no one gets hurt! You may have noticed the camera's laid out across the island, but that is so everyone can be safe and no one does anything inappropriate.  
Now does anyone have any questions?**_"

A few glances from one person to another. No one said anything.

" _ **Alright then! If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask your teacher! No-**_ "

Suddenly, an eerie but calm music filled the room. Everyone looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.

Meanwhile, Monokitty looked confused and fearful.

" _ **Th-that music. It can't be!**_ "

" **Upupupu~ but it is!** "

Another voice. Everyone looked towards the back of the dining hall where a large throne suddenly appeared. Something shot out of the ground and landed on the throne.

" _ **Students! Get behind me! I'll protect you! This thing shouldn't be here!**_ "

Monokitty unsheathed her metal claws and took a step towards the black and white bear.

" **Oh? You gonna take me on yourself? Well then, give it all you got!** "

Monokuma launched himself at Monokitty.

(A cartoonish dust cloud appeared as the two fought within)

"W-What on earth?!" Jiro managed to squeeze out. 

When the dust cloud settled, Monokitty stood there, looking around in fear.

" _ **My bracelet! My control bracelet! I can't do anything without it!**_ " She exclaimed, staring at the pieces of the broken bracelet on the ground. 

" **Well, now that the trash had been taken out, it's time for my introduction! Greetings, students! My name is Monokuma! I'm the Headmaster of Soaring Heights Academy!** " The bear said.

No one spoke for a long moment.

"What the hell is going on here?" 

"What are you?"

" **Ah, such spirited young kids, full of hope and a bright future....perfect participants for my killing school trip!** "

Everyone went silent again.

"K-killing school trip?"

" **Yup! If you guys want to get off this island, you'll have to kill your classmates and get away with it! If you succeed, everyone else will be punished and you will escape this island!** "

A few of the students began to panic while others talked amongst themselves.

"You can't be serious!"

"This has to be some kind of joke!"

" **I assure you that I'm telling the truth! Just lounging on an island is so boring! Everyone likes a little bloodshed. Speaking of which, when it come down to how to kill, any type is welcome. Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible.** "

" _ **That's enough! I won't have you hurt or corrupt my students!**_ " Monokitty declared, stepping in front of Monokuma.

Monokuma seemed to be amused by this display of bravery

The bear hit a button on his throne and two panels opened beside him. Large black and white wolves appeared, looking rather rabid.

" **Let this be a lesson to anyone who tries to defy me. Monowolves, attack!!** "

At the sound of the command, the wolves leaped towards Monokitty, who was cowering in fear. They began to rip her apart, pieces flying every which way.

The students watched in utter horror as their teacher was torn apart in front of them.

Once the wolves were done, they padded back to Monokuma's side.

" **Now. You will all be provided with your own Monopad's. They have various functions and murder ideas. They hold the rules of this killing game in them.** "

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

" **If you impatient bastards don't want to die by my paws, you'd read the rules so that you don't break any. Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And...see ya!** "

Then, the mechanical bear disappeared. 

" _ **Oh no...I couldn't stop him.**_ " 

Jiro screamed as he heard Monokitty next to him. He stumbled away.

"H-how are you alive?!" He asked the mechanical cat.

" _ **There's more than one of me. A machine is fabricating more of me in case something like that happens.**_ " Monokitty explained.

"Aren't you our teacher?! Can't you do anything to stop that thing?!" Mizuki asked.

" _ **He broke my control bracelet.....I have no power anymore. But I'm still your teacher. It's my job to keep you safe! Follow me everyone! I'll show you to the rooms that you'll be staying in so you can find these 'Monopad' things and read the rules. It's just so you don't accidentally break one of them.**_ " Monokitty explained.

"Why should we listen to you? You haven't been much of a help to us." Nao said.

As much as he hated it, Jiro had to agree. Monokitty was still a big mystery. For all they knew, she could be working alongside Monokuma.

"Well, we don't have anyone else to show us around so please, lead the way." Yasha said.

Monokitty nodded sadly and slowly led the students to the second floor.

-

Now on the third floor, Jiro scanned the doors. He was looking for the door that had his own name on it.

Soon, he found a door that had two names on it. One was his own.

_Akito Sakurai & Jiro Kinoshita_

He noticed the figure out of the corner of his eye. His turned and wasn't surprised to find Akito standing shyly a couple feet away from him.

"I guess we're roommates...let's just go get the Monopad's for now." Jiro said, turning back towards the door. He gently turned the knob and pushed open the wooden door.

(It was a rather beautiful bedroom but it had an old time look to it. A large bed, a couch, a desk, two windows, a vanity, a couple shelves, a nice carpet and a table and chairs.) 

Jiro looked around the dusty room. He hesitantly took a step inside. Something caught his eye that was laying on the bed. 

He walked over and picked up one of the devices.

He handed the second one to Akito.

Jiro pressed the power button on the Monopad and the screen flickered on. 

The screen turned white then a few option appeared. Jiro clicked the option that said 'rules'.

"Monokitty's Rules:

Rule #1: Extreme violence is prohibited. Please live peaceful and relaxing lives with your fellow students.  
Rule #2: Be considerate of each other and work together to obtain Hope Fragments.  
Rule #3: Littering is not allowed.  
Rule #4: The lead teacher cannot directly interfere with the students. An exception to this rule is made if any student violates a rule.

Monokuma's rules:

Rule #5: Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all surviving students.  
Rule #6: If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.  
Rule #7: If the blackened is not exposed, the remaining students will be executed.  
Rule #8: As a reward, the surviving blackened will be forgiven of their crime and allowed to leave.  
Rule #9: The Body Discovery Announcement will play as soon as three or more people discover a body for the first time.  
Rule #10: Destroying any property without permission is expressly prohibited. This includes the surveillance cameras and monitors.  
Rule #11: You are free to investigate this island at your own discretion. Your actions in this regard are not limited.  
Rule #12: Additional School Trip Rules may be added at the headmaster's discretion."

"T-they really are s-serious about having us kill each other...." Akito murmured quietly.

It was clear that they were on the verge of tears. Jiro couldn't help but notice the way their hands trembled as they held their Monopad.

"H-hey....it could still be some big prank." Jiro tried to reassure them.

Akito shook their head and hugged their Monopad to their chest.

"Th-this is too excessive to be a prank. And the fact th-that we don't remember how we got here...." They trailed off.

Jiro couldn't help them much. He was never good at comforting others. But he wanted nothing more than to give them a shoulder to lean on.

"Don't worry. No one will do something as lowly as murder. We don't have any reason to. We'll figure out h-how to get off this island." Jiro said.

Akito stared at the tall boy with awe in their eyes.

"A-are you sure...we can do it?" They asked.

"Y-Yeah. After all, we're Ultimate's. At least, you all are." Jiro said, awkwardly.

Akito smiled shyly.

"You definitely seem like an Ultimate. When you remember your talent, can you tell me?"

Jiro nodded.

"Y-you'll be the first person I go to." He promised.

Akito held out their hand with their pinkie extended. For a moment, Jiro was confused by the action before he caught on. He reached forwards with his hand and interlocked their pinkie's.

Akito smiled up at him.

"I-It's a p-promise."

-

Jiro perked up as he heard a knock at his door. He glanced over at Akito, who shrugged in return.

The boy stood up and walked towards the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Monokitty there.

" _ **Ah, Kinoshita-san and Sakurai-san. I'm glad you're both still here. I came to inform you that it's currently 4:35 pm. I still will keep my word in saying that dinner is at 7. So please return to the dining hall when the time comes.**_ " 

Then Monokitty turned and continued down the line of doors. 

Jiro stared after the mechanical cat for a moment before sighing. He felt something tug at his jacket, and he turned to see that it was Akito.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

Akito shook his head.

"I-I was just wondering...y-you said you found a library earlier...s-so I was wondering if you could maybe help m-me get there." 

Jiro nodded. He stepped out of the room and held the door open for Akito to follow him.

"Sure....I just hope I remember where it was...." Jiro mumbled awkwardly.

Akito giggled. They reached out and gently grabbed Jiro's hand, making the boy blush.

This, however, caused Akito to blush as well.

"I-is this okay?" They asked.

Jiro nodded quickly and shut the door behind them.

"L-Let's just go." He mumbled.

-

6:12 pm.

Jiro spend some time wandering around the mansion. He still needed to get a basic understanding about where some things were. 

As he scanned the map, he decided to check out a few rooms. The infirmary(he wasn't sure why they had one of those in a mansion), kitchen, personal gym, and music room.

Jiro began to make his way in the direction of the infirmary. As far as he knew, he had a little bit more medical knowledge then a normal person.

' _Maybe that has to do with my talent. I could be...the Ultimate Doctor...or the Ultimate Nurse...maybe the Ultimate Epidemiologist..._ '

He continued to think about possible talents that he could possess.

' _Actually...now that I think about it, I wouldn't be an Ultimate with such little medical knowledge, so I'm probably wrong..._ '

Jiro began to think about what his strengths were, which was hard to do since his talent was unknown. He couldn't even remember any of his hobbies. Why did he forget his talent but not everything else?

The harder he thought, the more of track he became. Soon, he realized that he had stopped moving at one point and was now just simply standing in place.

The boy began moving again.

Eventually, he made it to the infirmary. He was curious about what it looked like, considering it was a bit abnormal to have such a room in a mansion. It would probably be better suited for school.

Jiro slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

(It was a complete change in scenery and looked like a mix between a school infirmary and a hospital room)

Jiro widened his eyes at the sight of the room. To him, it felt impossible for a room to look like it was pulled directly out of another building. It was drastically different from the elegant vibe that the rest of the mansion had been giving.

As he was looking around, his eyes locked on the single computer monitor that sat on the desk. He quickly walked towards it and shook the computer mouse. 

Maybe he could call for help and people would come rescue them!

However, Jiro's hopes were shattered the second that the screen lit up.

(A completely black screen with Monokuma’s red eye on it)

Jiro jumped in surprise as he saw the symbol. He moved forward and quickly turned off the monitor. He curse under his breath.

' _So this bear thing really is serious about keeping us trapped here. Looks like he cut off all connection with the outside world._ '

He sighed and glanced around the room again. Besides the room itself, nothing looked really strange. 

There was a large cabinet in the back of the room. When Jiro opened it, he discovered that it was full of basic medical supplies.

Ranging from bandages to blood bags. Jiro shivered at the sight of the blood. Not because of the blood itself, but because he didn't know how and where it was obtained.

"Oh, Jiro-kun! I didn't expect to find you here~" 

Jiro spun around so quickly that it made him dizzy. He felt his body freeze as he locked eyes with the Ultimate Illusionist.

"What're you doing in here? It's almost time for dinner. I came to help guide any lingering students." Guren explained, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. 

She approached the black-haired boy, unaware of his apparent fear.

Her smile dropped a little as she scanned his face.

"Is something the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." She said.

Jiro gulped. He knew he had to reply to her at one point or another. If they truly were trapped here, then he had no choice but to speak to her at some point.

"I-I....y-y-you're....really c-close..." he managed to choke out. 

Guren widened her eyes slightly at the realization that she indeed was very close to the boy. She back away a little and giggled.

"Ara ara~, my mistake. I tend to do that sometimes. Jizo-sama says that it's a good way to get to know others!" She said, matter-of-factly.

Jiro furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"H-Huh? Jizo...sama?" 

Guren's eyes lit up with excitement. Somehow, Jiro knew that he had somehow screwed himself over by asking.

"Oh, yes! Jizo-sama is the most wonderful god! He's always watching over us with such a compassionate look. He is the reason we thrive today." She said, looking so helplessly lovestruck, but in a different kind of way.

Jiro shifted uncomfortably. Once again, Guren had managed to get very close to him. He cleared his throat in an attempt to grab her attention. She sprung forwards and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She was, however, unaware of the fact that her chest was pressed up against Jiro's side, causing him to blush furiously.

"Ah, that's right! Let's go to the dining hall, Jiro-kun~. It's almost time for dinner." Guren said, taking his hand in her own and practically dragging him out the door.

Jiro made a few protests but it was obvious that they weren't going through to the other girl.

-

When they finally arrived at the dining hall, it looked like everyone was there already. There was food lined up on the table, one plate of food for each of them. 

Guren dragged Jiro to the seat next to her. He didn't have it in him to protest so he just stayed put. After scanning the faces, he finally saw Mizuki. She was talking with Haku. 

Mizuki noticed Jiro staring at her, so she waved at him with a friendly smile and a wink.

His cheeks burned in embarrassment and he lowered his head. He wanted to pull his hood over his head but he knew it would just give him more unwanted attention.

Next to him, he could feel the eyes of the Ultimate Creator practically burning through his skull. 

"You there. Kinoshita-san, was it? What's your talent?" Benjiro asked.

Jiro cautiously peeked out from behind his curtain of hair. 

"I-I....don't remember at the moment...." he mumbled.

Benjiro narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You don't remember? I think you're lying. Do you think I wouldn't notice how you're the only one who doesn't remember his talent?" The creator asked, rather aggressively.

Jiro shrunk back as the creator accused him. For some reason, he felt a spark of anger hit him.

"J-just cause I don't remember my talent, doesn't mean I'm anymore knowledgeable about the situation than you are." Jiro muttered.

Benjiro clicked his tongue at Jiro in annoyance.

"Watch your tongue around me. I have more money than you've probably even seen in your life." The creator said arrogantly.

After that, Benjiro stood up from his seat and grabbed his plate of food before leaving the dining hall.

"What was that all about?" Guren asked.

Jiro sighed and shrugged. He looked down at the food that was on the plate in front of him. 

-

" **Mhem, this is an announcement from yours truly. It is now 10:00 pm. The doors to the dining halls will be closed until morning. No one is required to stay in their rooms, so please feel free to do as you wish, as long as it doesn't contradict the rules! Now sleep tight and rest up.** "

Jiro shivered as he heard the announcement. He had been in his room since 9:00 pm, trying to piece together whatever he could.

"That must've been the nighttime announcement that Monokitty told us about during dinner." Jiro mumbled, mostly to himself. 

Akito glanced over at Jiro for a moment, as if wanting to ask him something, but they quickly turned away again.

"E-Erm....I'll sleep on the couch. It'll probably be uncomfortable to sleep next to a stranger so...." Jiro grabbed one of the pillows and heading to the couch.

"U-um...are you s-sure? I could sleep o-on the couch instead i-if you want." Akito offered.

Jiro shook his head.

"It's fine....something tells me that I'd like sleeping on a couch rather than a bed." He said, setting the pillow down against the arm of the couch. 

When he sat down, he was slightly surprised by how soft the couch was. 

' _I guess this isn't so bad...but still.....there's a bigger problem at hand here..._ '


	5. We’ve Gathered Here Today

" **Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day in your despairingly dreary killing game life!** "

~

"Kinoshita-kun? Kinoshita-kun!"

Jiro groaned and slowly blinked open his eyes. He was met with the sight of Akito in front of him, attempting to shake him awake.

"I'm up I'm up." Jiro said, rubbing his eyes.

The first thing that he noticed was the amount of books that were piled up on the bed. He assumed that it was because of Akito and their talent. 

"S-some kind of announcement w-went off. It said that it was 7 am and that nighttime was over. I wasn't sure if it was important or not so I woke you up....I'm sorry if I bothered you...." 

Jiro shook his head and gently ruffled his own messy black hair. 

"It's fine. I doubt I would've been able to w-wake up on my own..." 

Akito nodded. They glanced to the side. Back at the books that were on the bed, then returning their gaze to Jiro.

"Didn't um...Monokitty...say something about breakfast at 7. Maybe we should head down and see if that's the case." Jiro suggested, mostly trying to break the ice.

Akito nodded and hesitantly began walking to the door. They looked back at Jiro.

"D-Do you still need to get ready?" 

He shook his head. For some reason, it felt like he was used to waking up with the appearance of a hit-and-run survivor.

The two exited the room and began to make their way to the dining hall. 

As they turned the corner, Jiro ran into a familiar face. Quite literally in fact.

Yasha appeared out of nowhere, running into Jiro. Since they had very different body types, Jiro ended up falling backwards. 

"Ahh!" 

"Oh, Kinoshita-san. You should really pay more attention to your surroundings. Are you okay?" The executioner asked, extending a hand out towards the boy.

Jiro begrudgedly accepted the help and was pulled to his feet. 

"Why were you out of your room already?" Jiro questioned.

"I wake up very early sometimes and can't fall back asleep. I decided to wander around a little. Oh, and Monokitty reminded me of breakfast so I was going back to the rooms to see if anyone else was awake." Yasha explained.

Having been so focused on their conversation, Jiro completely forgot that they weren't the only ones there at the moment. That is until Akito hesitantly nudged Jiro's arm, stopping him mid-sentence.

"A-Ah...sorry Sakurai-san. I guess I got distracted. Erm, Fukuda-kun, do you want to come with us? We were heading to the dining hall." 

Yasha looked off to to side for a moment, contemplating the offer. He turned back to them.

"I would, but I feel like walking around for a bit longer." He said.

Jiro nodded and moved to the side to let the executioner pass. As they parted ways, Jiro and Akito continued down towards the dining hall.

-

" _ **Oh! It's good to see that you guys remembered! I've already prepared breakfast for everyone.**_ "

They were greeted by the same mechanical cat that was standing on the table, looking quite a bit more worried than normal. But it was understandable. More or less.

"Um...Monokitty, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jiro asked.

The robotic cat perked up and quickly scurried over to the side of the table that Jiro was closest to.

" _ **Of course! Please feel free to ask me anything.**_ "

Jiro's eyes flickered toward Akito, whom had taken a seat and began eating the breakfast that was prepared.

"Since you're...what I assume to be the only adult here, are you working on a way to get us off this island?"

Monokitty became rigged, almost like Jiro had hit something.

" _ **Wh-wha? We can't leave this island! That nasty old bear might thing he's at the advantage, but he's wrong! No ones gonna commit any wrongdoings so there's no need to worry about leaving!**_ "

Jiro stared at the 'teacher' with a bewildered expression.

"If you don't want us to leave, then that must mean that you're on the bear's side."

Jiro slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress the scream that almost escaped his throat. He turned around and found that the Ultimate Whistleblower was standing behind them.

" _ **H-Huh?! I'm not on his side! I don't want you guys to get hurt! It's my job to prevent this!**_ " 

Jiro narrowed his eyes and took a step away from both of them. 

Nao took a step forwards.

"If you want to prevent this, then help us get off this island. Till you're willing to do that, no one will trust you." He said.

Nao turned and made his way to the opposite side of the dining hall and plopped down in one of the empty chairs.

" _ **Oh my....no one will trust me? But I can't...**_ "

Jiro decided that it was best to leave Monokitty on her own for now. It's not like he had any sympathy for something so sketchy, it's just that her talking to herself made him uncomfortable.

Jiro sighed and sat down in one of the empty chairs. He looked down at the food in front of him. It looked pretty decent.

"Hey, Jiro-kun!"

Honestly, he should know better than to relax at this point. He screamed and fell off of his chair.

"Whoa! Easy there. I didn't mean to scare you! Are you okay?" Mizuki asked, offering a hand out towards the boy on the ground.

Jiro took the hand and grunted as he hauled himself to his feet.

"Y'know, you've got a pretty feminine scream." 

"....I'm well aware..."

-

8:36 am.

Jiro didn't know where he was. Well, that was probably an overstatement. He knew he was in a forest of sorts. That was about it.

The forest behind the mansion had caught his interest. He originally intended to stay close to the mansion but he ended up getting lost in thought and walking further than he had anticipated.

It wasn't scary. In fact, it was rather calming.

It was strange. Jiro didn't remember the last time he's had such nice time to himself. However, his thoughts began to wander off again. 

' _...what if I'm not an Ultimate...what if I'm just some normal kid that got mistaken for one?_ '

These thoughts us been nagging at him for awhile. Along with wondering why the hell he was pulled into what he could only depict as being The Hunger Games.

' _Maybe I should talk with someone who knows more about this stuff. Maybe...Windrider-san? He's the Ultimate Whistleblower. He's had to have been in a situation like this before. Maybe I'll ask Mizuki-san about it later as well._ '

Having become completely absorbed in his thoughts, Jiro didn't hear the sound of footsteps growing closer to him.

However, Jiro's head shot up at the sound of a twig breaking underfoot. He spun around and discovered someone he didn't expect to be out there.

"Erm- Hello, F-Fuyuna-san." He said awkwardly.

The frail girl tilted her head to the side, confused by the others actions.

"Ive been trying to get your attention." She said simply.

Jiro widened his eyes.

"S-Sorry! I was spacing out..." he said quickly.

"You don't have to apologize. I really don't care." Haku said, her words like ice.

Jiro had never really gotten a chance to talk to the Ultimate Contortionist. After witnessing his breakdown, he simply assumed she didn't want to talk to him anymore. 

Aside from that, Haku made him feel very odd. Her presence alone was similar to that of a new teacher. It was definitely intimidating.

"W-What are you...out here exactly?" He asked.

Haku tucked some of her hair behind her ear, but left one of her eyes covered by her bangs.

"I came here yesterday. I found a spot where I could stretch in peace. I was headed there again. Despite the situation, I still want to keep my skills polished." 

Jiro felt a bit of admiration towards the girl. She must've really been dedicated to her talent. But on the other hand, he didn't find it very necessary to waste time on something one has already achieved over trying to escape a life or death situation. 

"Did you want to come too?" She asked.

"Huh? I don't want to come if you don't want me to." He protested.

"Like I said, I really don't care. You kinda seemed like you were lost." 

Oh yeah. Jiro had completely forgotten the reason that he was wandering there in the first place. He was lost.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm the one who offered." She replied.

Jiro sighed and finally nodded.

"A-Alright....lead the way..."

-

"H-How are walking so quickly?!" Jiro called out.

"Am I? I didn't notice." 

When they finally reached the spot that Haku had said, Jiro was out of breath from trying to keep up with the long strides that Haku took. It was impressive, but exhausting for Jiro.

They stood on a very sandy area, similar to the one he saw yesterday. What was strange, was that there were large rocks lined up along the shore, preventing the waves from reaching any further. 

"Did you do this?" Jiro asked, staring at the line of rocks.

Haku shook her head.

"No. It was like this when I found it." She responded.

Shifting his focus away from the strange alignment of rocks, he asked a question that's been on his mind.

"U-Um....what do you....think we should do? About the whole 'killing school trip' thing?" 

Haku paused. It was unsettling to Jiro how she didn't even move a muscle for a minute or two.

"I don't know." She said suddenly.

Maybe he was imagining it, but for a moment, Jiro saw something different in her eyes. He couldn't quite explain it.

Before he could ask his next question, Haku dropped to the ground in a position that Jiro could only describe with the word 'ow'.

(Basically she suddenly folded herself into a box shape)

"Wha-?! How are you d-doing that?! Especially in a skirt!" Jiro asked.

Haku managed to twist her head towards him from the position she was in.

"It's my talent. I like to challenge myself sometimes. This is honestly a very low skill to master." She explained, rather calmly.

In one swift movement, she gracefully pulled herself to her feet once more and stretched her arms in the air.

Jiro shivered. That's right. He forgot what her talent was for a moment. 

' _I should really stop being so surprised by these people..._ '

"Aren't you the one that doesn't remember your own talent? Do you know it yet?" Haku asked, sitting down on the sand, with her legs crisscrossing.

Jiro sighed and plopped himself down a few feet away from her. 

"I-i still don't remember it....I haven't even got the slightest clue out of what I've analyzed from my actions." He said, resting his head in his hands.

"Oh." 

For awhile, neither of them spoke. Nor did they move. They simply sat in silence and listened to the sounds of the waves that crashed against the line of rocks.

It was almost peaceful for Jiro.

-

10:40 am.

After Jiro's encounter with Haku, he ended up following her back to the mansion. They hadn't talked much and parted ways once they reached the mansion.

As he was walking through the front doors, an idea popped into his head. 

' _Maybe if I go to some of the rooms, I could see if I'm good at anything. There's a few rooms that seem to be like school classrooms._ '

Jiro nodded to himself. At least he had a mission now. Having remembered that there was a music room on the second floor, he began to head towards the staircase. 

He wandered for a bit, trying to get to his destination. It didn't take long for him to run into a familiar face.

"Ah, Kinoshita-kun. Are you alright? You seem distracted." Sai said, smiling at the boy.

"Erm...I guess you could say that I'm trying to figure something out. My talent, specifically. I was going to test myself in the music room to see if maybe my talent has something to do with music." Jiro explained, scratching the side of his nose awkwardly.

Sai nodded.

"Do you mind if I join you. I might not be of much use in this situation but I do want to help." She said.

Jiro widened his eyes and looked off to the side.

"I-I don't m-mind...you're probably one of the very few sane people in this place." He mumbled. He began walking again and Sai followed close by him.

"'Probably'?" She asked, teasingly.

Jiro's face became bright red.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I just- erm- ah-...nggh~..." Jiro covered his face with his hands. He really had to watch what he said.

"Kinoshita-kun, I was just teasing you. I know you didn't mean any harm by what you said." Sai told him, throwing a look of sympathy his way.

He mumbled something under his breath and continued walking. They soon reached the music room. The door was a nice wooden one with a metal handle. 

Jiro reached forwards and pushed the door open.

(Instruments of all shapes and sizes on wall to wall.) 

Both of them looked around. 

"Wow. There's a lot of instruments here." Sai observed.

Jiro walked as the aromatherapist ran her hand over the surface of the piano that was sitting against the wall.

"Um...d-do you know...how to play?" Jiro asked, nervously.

Sai quickly shook her head.

"Oh, no no. I'm not very good at music." She said.

Jiro nodded and looked towards the drum set in the corner of the room.

"Well...guess I should get started. I-I think I'll start with the drums." He said, walking over to them.

He sat himself down on the small stool that was in the center of the drums. He glanced over then quickly and grabbed a pair of drumsticks that were sitting nearby. 

"Uh..."

"Anything yet? Does it feel natural to hold them?" Sai questioned.

Jiro frowned. As far as he knew, he didn't know how to hold drumsticks. He held them in a way that he thought would be good enough. Slowly and hesitantly, he began to hit the drums in a very broken melody.

' _This isn't working..._ '

He stopped.

Jiro placed the drumsticks down and sighed loudly. This was going to be horrible.

He was unaware that he had began to pull at his own hair out of frustration. That is, until he felt a soft hand on his arm. Looking to the side, he saw Sai standing next to him with a look of concern.

"Kinoshita-kun....maybe it's best if you do this another time. You seem very overwhelmed." She told him.

Jiro lowered his hands way from his head. His heart was pounding out of his chest. He was almost certain that Sai could hear it too.

"I-I...I'm just....I d-don't know...." he muttered.

Sai's expression softened and she lowered her hand way from him. She quickly put her hand in her pocket and took out a small bottle. She checked the label and smiled.

"How about this: This is Lavender. It's one of the most relaxing scents in the world. At least, that's what I think." She began. As she spoke, she unscrewed the cap and gently dabbed some of the oil on her finger. 

Sai repeated what she had done when Jiro first met her. She gently rubbed the oil on the undersides of Jiro's jaw.

He had to admit, it was a rather relaxing smell. Lavender was it? It had a very mature smell, if that even made sense.

But Jiro also felt something else. The warmth of another person near him.

' _She's just like..._ '

"Kinoshita-kun?! Did I do something wrong?"

He snapped out of his thoughts. Sai was staring at him with wide eyes.

Jiro raised his hand to his face and touched his cheek. It was wet. He was crying.

He quickly used his arm to wipe away his tears.

"S-sorry...I d-didn't know I was....yo-you just...." he couldn't even finish his sentence. 

Jiro unconsciously clutched the fabric of his shirt that was over his heart. He knew this feeling. It's been so long since he's last felt such comfort.

"Kinoshita-kun? Maybe I should go..." 

"No!"

Jiro quickly snapped his mouth shut but not before the words left his mouth. He turned his head to the side, bashfully.

"S-sorry...I just...you d-don't have to go...I'm just b-being weird again..." he said, standing up.

Sai looked unconvinced by Jiro's words. She let out a long sigh.

"I didn't think you were being weird. It's only natural for a human to be unstable from time to time. So you shouldn't be too hard on yourself." She told him.

Jiro gazed at the black haired girl with glossy eyes. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

"You're...r-really nice..." he mumbled, blushing slightly.

Sai tilted her head to the side and giggled.

' _Cute..._ ' she thought.

"Thank you."

-

12:00 pm

"U-Um, where are we going a-again?" Jiro asked as Mizuki led/dragged him towards wherever their destination was.

"I asked everyone to meet up in the ballroom so that we can think of ideas to get us out of here." She explained rather quickly.

Jiro nodded before stumbling slightly. Mizuki was walking at a faster pace then he was, so it was difficult to keep up.

As they got to the ballroom, Jiro noticed that almost everyone was there. Almost.

They were all gathered in the center on the room. Surprisingly, Monokitty stood off to the side, pacing back and forth. The group of students turned their eyes to the new arrivals.

"Jiro-kun~! We're glad you made it." Guren said, sending a shiver down Jiro's spine.

The two approached the group and everyone moved to stand in a large circle. Their eyes lingered from one person to another, unsure of where to start.

"Alright, let's get some ideas! Has anyone seen or found anything that could help us get off this island?" Mizuki asked, clapping her hands together, startling Jiro in the process.

" _Si_! I believe I saw a dock while I was exploring outside!" Itsuki said, smiling brightly.

"B-but there w-weren't a-any boats..." Kaze or Haise said. Whoever they were.

Jiro took notice that she was talking differently from last time and her personality seem completely different. The look on her face made it clear that she was nervous. She talked with a stutter sometimes as well.

' _What the hell..._ '

"Perhaps we could craft one with the raw materials of this island. Such as in survival movies!" Itsuki suggested.

"I don't think that's an option. Even though we are Ultimate's none of our talents correlate with that. Not to mention, we don't have the equipment to build a boat either." Yasha interjected.

Itsuki slumped slightly after being shot down. 

"Ah...I suppose you're right, chico..." he said.

"Anyone else?" Mizuki asked.

"Whaaaaat if we.....uuuuhh. Hm. What if we swim?" Guren suggested, flashing a hearty smile.

Everyone looked at the girl with the same looks. 

"Y-you can't b-b-be dumb en-enough to s-swim..." the Ultimate Technician grumbled.

"Ara~ I'm being serious. Jizo-sama said it's the best action to take! If we stay here, then we will all rot away!" Guren said. How she could say something like that so casually was unknown to Jiro.

"If I can interject, I don't think that's a good idea." Hiroto began. He raised his head. The birds in the cages he held began to flap their wings furiously.

"Shhh~...it's okay, my friends. I am alright. No need to panic." He soothed the birds, whom calmed down after he spoke.

Everyone else, thoroughly weirded out, put their full attention on the Ultimate Birdkeeper.

Hiroto smiled softly when his birds fully settled down.

"Now, where was I? Oh yes. The reason that I think swimming to mainland is a bad idea, is because we aren't even aware of where we are. They said this was an island but we don't know its location, nor do we know where the nearest land is." He continued.

Guren tapped her chin. She stepped back and sighed.

"Forgive me, Jizo-sama. I allowed you to be contradicted..." she mumbled sadly.

Mizuki cleared her throat.

"Heh. Foolish humans. Listening to the words of gods will only lead to your demise. As a sorceress, I could easily lend my power in this chance to escape, but you lot have not proven yourselves worthy." Chiyo said. She crossed her arms and stared down at the floor in what Jiro could only describe as disappointment.

"Uh...yeah okay. Anyways, I think it's best if we keep looking for a way to escape. And can someone tell the people who didn't show up about this later?" Mizuki asked.

A few heads nodded in response. 

"This was a very very short meeting. Are you sure there isn't anything else to say? Anyone?" Yasha asked.

A few eyes wandered around, looking to see if anyone was wanting to speak. No one said anything.

"One at a time guys." Mizuki said, looking rather exasperated.

Still, no one spoke.

"Welp, guess that's a no then. Let's all go now. But don't forget to stay safe. Preferably, don't go on your own." Mizuki said. 

Jiro yelped in surprise as Mizuki then proceeded to drag him out of the ballroom.

' _My arm is getting really sore..._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment below who your favorite character is so far. I’d love to hear it


	6. Now’s The Time

**[Two Days Later...]**

-

Jiro awoke with a sinking feeling in his gut. Today was going to be a long day. He could already tell.

" **Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day in your despairingly dreary killing game life!** "

Ah. There it was.

Jiro groaned loudly at the sound of the morning announcement. He was growing more and more sick of that bear's voice. Ignoring his body's protesting, he rolled himself off of the couch. Quite literally, in fact. He hit the floor with a loud 'thud', which awoke Akito, whom was sleeping in the bed.

"H-Huh?? J-Jiro-kun? Are y-you okay?!" They asked, their voice still clouded with sleepiness. 

Jiro didn't even raise his head. He only grunted in affirmation that he was unharmed. The sound of the bed shifting could be heard as Akito slowly slid out of it. 

The Ultimate Philologist approached the boy on the ground and knelt down next to him. They reached out and gently shook their roommate.

"Jiro-kun? I think the morning a-announcement already played. M-maybe we should head to the dining hall." Akito suggested.

Jiro slowly lifted himself up off the ground. He swiped away a few stray hairs that were in his face. 

"I guess so...." he mumbled.

-

7:15 am.

When everyone had finally gathered in the dining hall, they each began to eat their respective meals. 

That's when it happened.

" **Gooooood morning, my lovely students! I hope you're enjoying your thoughtfully made meal that were provided by your truly!** " Monokuma said, suddenly appearing on the dining table.

" _ **Hey! You didn't make these! I did!**_ " Monokitty protested, which was ignored by the black and white bear.

Everyone stared at the bear with each having different looks in their eyes. 

"What do you want, you mechanized animal?" Benjiro asked.

" **Glad you asked! I'm here for a very important reason. That being, IM BORED AS HELL!!! Why hasn't anyone killed yet?! This is so boring to watch!** " Monokuma growled, causing a few people to jump.

"Because no one wants to! We aren't going to kill each other just because you said so!" Mizuki spoke up.

Monokuma tapped his chin thoughtfully. It was silent for awhile until he spoke again.

" **Oh, I get it. You don't got a reason, eh? Weeeelll, upupupu~...I'll give you a reason. Here is your first motive!** " He began.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

" **If no one kills within two days, everyone will be executed!** "

It was dead quiet. Then..

" _ **W-Wha?! That's horrible!!**_ " Monokitty cried.

Yasha stood up. "Punishment without wrongdoing?! That's the worst kind of death!!" He said, angrily.

" **Upupu~ then I suggest you start killing! See ya!** " Monokuma said before disappearing.

" _ **Hey wait! Get back here!**_ " Monokitty yelled, disappearing as well.

Everyone remained quiet again after that. They were unsure of what to do at that point. Especially with the information they were given.

' _H-he can't kill all of us....right...?_ ’ Jiro denied what the bear had said, but he knew better.

-

8:37 am.

"A-Ah...hello, Jiro-kun..." Akito greeted the boy when he entered the room.

The first things Jiro noticed was that Akito was sitting at the desk, writing something. 

"What are you writing?" He asked, curious.

Akito looked down at the paper that sat in front of them. They sighed quietly and gently set down the pencil that they were using.

"I-I'm just...writing a letter...t-to my foster family....if a-anything happens to me...I at least want to say goodbye to them..." They explained.

Jiro didn't fail to notice the way that Akito's voice cracked a bit. He walked over to his roommate and stood beside him.

"Y-you shouldn't get ahead of yourself. I don't think that bear will kill all of us. That'll probably ruin his fun." He said.

Akito didn't respond. They simply stared down at the paper that contained half-written goodbyes. 

"I-I...I'm really scared...cause...I don't wanna die yet..." Akito began, their voice becoming more and more strained. "I never got t-to thank my foster family...for everything they've d-done for me....they accepted me for who I w-was..." 

Jiro felt the pain that lingered in Akito's words. Anyone could tell that they cared a lot about their foster family.

"I...don't have a family to thank...." Jiro mumbled softly.

Akito turned towards him with wide and teary eyes.

"I-I'm sorry....I never k-knew....." they apologized.

"No, it's fine. I just think it's really nice that you care so much about your family." Jiro said.

Jiro reached into his pocket. His fingers brushed against the familiar feeling of cold metal. He smiled weakly.

"A-Anyways...don't lose hope yet...you...you never know what might happen next." He said.

Akito stared up at him for a moment. They used their sleeve to wipe their eyes. 

"O-okay...I won't. Thank you, Jiro-kun." 

-

10:22 am.

"I didn't know that you knew how to make tea, Sai-san." Jiro said, looking at the empty teacups in front of him. 

They had decided to meet up and Sai suggested they talk over tea, which Jiro had agreed to. They were in the kitchen and Jiro was watching as Sai moved back and forth through the room.

"I like to say that the smell of tea can be another form of aromatherapy. Which kind do you want?" She asked, turning towards him.

Jiro widened his eyes slightly.

"W-What types are there?" He asked.

Sai turned to the different tea boxes on the side counter and looked over them.

"Earl Grey, Regular Green tea, Black tea, Mint tea, Chamomile tea, and lemon tea." She said.

Jiro, having absolutely no knowledge whatsoever about tea, took a moment to think about it.

"Erm...I guess..lemon tea?" He said.

Sai nodded and took one of the boxes. She began to grab different things and she turned on the stove as well. Jiro watched her in mild interest.

"Jiro-san, can I ask you something?" Sai questioned, filing a kettle with water.

Jiro nodded. "Go for it."

Sai placed the kettle on the stove and turned back to Jiro.

"How are you handling things? Are you worried, especially about the motive that was given?" 

Jiro ended up choking on his words. He thought he knew how to answer her, but it came up blank. 

"Um...i-i don't...really know...but...I don't believe him." He mumbled.

Sai leaned against the opposite side of the counter.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...he says that he put us in some killing game for despair or something, so killing everyone at the start would completely defeat the purpose." He explained.

"I see...I guess you have a point. But still, we should assume the worst. I prefer to not have a pessimistic outlook on things but I can't ignore that Monokuma has the upper hand." Sai said.

Jiro nodded slowly. He noticed that his and Sai's deductions were rather in sync. It was nice to be so connected to someone.

-

Once the tea was done, Sai poured some in Jiro's teacup and then into her own. 

"Careful. I let it sit for a little so that it could cool down, but it might still be a bit hot." She warned.

Jiro nodded. After staring at the cup of tea for a solid minute, he picked it up and took a small sip. He was hit with a flavor that he couldn't decide it being tangy or spicy. Or maybe both.

"It's...good..." Jiro said, looking towards Sai with an encouraging smile.

Sai smiled back and took a sip of her own tea.

"I've...um...never had tea before so....this is really nice..." he said before taking another sip.

"Oh, then I'm really glad that I got to be your tea sommelier." Sai said, giggling lightly. 

Over the past few days since Jiro has met Sai, he's been trying to depict her personality. He knows that she's a rather polite girl with extensive knowledge on many types of therapy. She tends to put others before herself, as most therapists do. 

"Jiro-san? Is something wrong?" Sai asked, snapping him back to reality.

"Ah, n-no! I just spaced out again...." he admitted.

Sai smiling and took another sip of her tea.

"That's fine. I think it's quite cute." She said.

Jiro's face flushed red at the sudden comment. He turned his head to the side.

"Th-thank you...."

-

3:10 pm

" _ **Oh dear oh dear this is bad. This is very very bad. Nggh~, why did he have to show up?! He shouldn't even be here! It's impossible!**_ " 

Jiro hid just around the corner from the mechanical cat. He was interested in learning what role she had in all of this. And if she was really on their side or not. 

" _ **Come on, Monokitty! Keep it together! Hope isn't lost yet. Surely no one would listen to Monokuma. Hmm...but if they don't, he'll kill all of them....oh dear...**_ "

Jiro wasn't quite getting what Monokitty was saying, but it sounding like she was losing an argument with herself.

' _A lot of things here don't make any sense. Like how we got here, where we are, and why we're here._ '

He guesses that he'll just have to find out on his own.

-

6:34 pm.

"Hey, Jiro-kun? Do you have someone that you want to get back too?" 

Jiro looked over at the Ultimate Comedian with a bewildered look.

"Um...i-I'm not quite sure I follow what you're saying..." he said.

Mizuki shifted her sitting position. They both sat near the edge of the water, watching as the sun began to set over the horizon.

"I mean, do you have someone who you can't live without. Maybe a girlfriend...or boyfriend, just friends in general, or family?" She said, turning her head towards him.

Jiro felt a stab of pain in his heart at the mention of 'family'. He had mixed emotions about his family.

Noticing Jiro's change in demeanor, Mizuki spoke up again.

"Ah, I see. Well just know that you always have someone supporting you." She said.

Jiro lifted his head and glanced towards her.

"W-what about you, Mizuki-san? Do you have anyone that you want to get back to?" He asked, repeating her question.

Mizuki seemed momentarily surprised by the shift in gears, but it wasn't unwelcome.

"Well...yes. Since I trust you, I'll tell you this. If you're willing to listen." She offered.

Jiro's curiosity got the best of him, causing him to nod.

"I-I'm all ears." He said.

Mizuki sighed and returned her gaze back towards the setting sun.

"As the Ultimate Comedian, I love to make people laugh and smile, especially in the time they need it the most. That's why I wanted to become an Ultimate in the first place; so I can share my comedy with everyone. But...when I was growing up, it wasn't that easy. You see, my family never had enough money for things. Mom and Dad worked day and night. I never really got to see much of them. But when I did, I would tell them a joke or two. They always laughed, even if it was a really bad joke, or I messed it up." Something in Mizuki's eyes changed. Jiro knew that look.

"When I turned about 11 years old, my Mom and Dad disappeared. I still don't know where they are or where they went, but I just hope they're safe. But they're the reason I wanted to become a comedian. I wanted to make people smile and laugh like my parents did....anyways...I've been talking for awhile." She said, looking back at him.

"Don't worry about it....I'm...actually honored that y-you trust me enough to tell me something like that..." he said, smiling weakly.

Mizuki giggled quietly and gave Jiro a playful shove.

"You make it sound like I gave you a Medal of Honor. It's not that big of a deal." Mizuki said.

"Well, I think it is at least..." Jiro muttered.

Mizuki looked back at the sunset. The red and orange streaked sky carved patterns in her eyes. Jiro thought it looked beautiful.

"Thanks for coming out here with me. You technically didn't have to show up but, here you are!" She said, gesturing to him. 

"It was no problem." He argued.

Mizuki sighed and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She offered a hand to Jiro, whom gladly took it.

"It's almost 7. We should head to the dining hall." She said, before a smirk appeared on her face. "I'll race you!" She said before bolting back towards the mansion.

Jiro widened his eyes and quickly stumbled after the girl.

"H-hey! I'm not very good at this!" He protested. Although he sounded distressed, this was the most fun that he's had in awhile.


	7. We Are What We Behold

" **Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day in your despairingly dreary killing game life!** " 

Jiro, surprisingly, was already awake when the announcement went off. He sat at the desk, scribbling away at something. He was however, unaware of Akito whom was watching him from the bed.

"Jiro-kun?" They called out, causing Jiro to nearly fall out of his chair.

"A-Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" They said, climbing out of the bed and heading to Jiro's side.

"It's fine. I just was just surprised. L-let's just head down to breakfast now." He mumbled, standing up and heading towards the door.

Akito blinked in confusion before following after their roommate. 

As the two headed down to the first floor, they bumped into a familiar face.

"Oh, h-hello, Yasha-san..um...are you okay?" Akito asked, noticing how out of breath the other was.

"Yeah...I'm fine. It's just...that bear, Monokuma, suddenly started chasing me so I ran away. I would be careful if I were you." The executioner said, panting.

Jiro nodded.

"It's a good thing you ran. We can't trust either of those mechanical death traps." He mumbled.

"Wh-What about Monokitty? She seemed like she w-was on our side..." Akito said quietly.

"She also was against the idea of us leaving this island, so we have no choice but to not trust her." Jiro argued, causing Akito to go silent. 

The two parted with Yasha and made their way to the dining hall. From there, Jiro and Akito split off and went towards their own respective seats.

Mizuki was one of the first ones to arrive after Jiro and Akito. She took her spot next to Jiro.

"Hey, Jiro-san? You doing okay? You seem kind of...aggravated." She said, gently nudging the other boy.

Jiro cringed inwardly and slightly scooted away from her.

"I-I'm fine...it's just...the deadline is tomorrow...a-and I don't know what's going to happen..." he admitted wearily.

Mizuki only smiled softly.

"Don't get yourself worked up about it. I doubt Monokuma would actually kill us. Besides, we outnumber him. Not to mention, we're Ultimate's. Although, most of our talents aren't very helpful in combat, I still think we have what it takes." She said, her eyes sparkling with determination.

Although it didn't seem like it, Mizuki's words helped raise Jiro's spirits, even if it was just a little. 

" _Fantástico!_ Your words a truly inspiring, Mizuki! I apologize for intruding on your conversation but I simply couldn't stay quiet." Itsuki said, smiling at the two.

"Erm-...thanks. I was just saying what was on my mind. It's really no big deal, Kudo-kun." Mizuki said, laughing nervously.

Suddenly, Itsuki knelt down on one knee in front of Mizuki and took one of her hands in his own.

"I was truly moved by your passion!" He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with fascination.

Jiro clear his throat.

"I-I think you're going too far." He mumbled, having noticed how Mizuki was uncomfortable.

Itsuki seemed confused by his words, not entirely understanding that what he was doing could be considered strange to some people. Nonetheless, he stood up and released Mizuki's hand.

"Well then, _Hasta luego_ , Mizuki and Jiro. It was nice to talk to you." He said, moving off to his own seat.

Mizuki turned back towards Jiro with a frazzled look. Jiro couldn't blame her. He would be confused as well. In fact, he was. 

"Wow, he must be a real Prince Charming where he's from." She said, chuckling awkwardly.

"Y-yeah...either that or he's completely oblivious." Jiro mumbled softly.

Mizuki smiled at Jiro, who didn't hesitate to return it.

-

8:57 am.

"Ah! Kinoshita-san! I was looking for the assistance of a mortal. I advise you to follow me unless you wish to face my wrath." Chiyo shouted after having spotted Jiro.

"H-huh?! Erm-uh....okay...I-I guess.." he answered, not quite sure how he was supposed to respond to that.

Chiyo grabbed him by the wrist and began dragging him out of the mansion and towards the woods behind it.

"W-where exactly are we going?!" Jiro asked, trying to pry his wrist free from the other girls iron grip.

"I am in need of more raw material from this era. Your job is to be the holder of that raw material." She explained, which wasn't much help.

As they advanced further into the woods, Jiro started to understand what the woodcarvers intentions were. He was just supposed to hold the scraps of wood and sticks that Chiyo collected. It was simple enough.

Every so often, Chiyo would give Jiro a medium sized log or stick to hold while she went to search for others. Neither of them exchanged any words in the process, which was fine by both of them.

Awhile later, Jiro's arms were growing tired, as he was now carrying a bit too much for him to handle.

"U-um, Namida-san? Isn't this enough?" He asked quietly.

Chiyo stopped where she was and looked Jiro up and down. She appeared to be contemplating something.

"I suppose. Human's are very weak creatures. Especially one with your figure. Hold still. I shall handle half of what was collected." She said, grabbed about half of what Jiro was holding in his arms.

She began to lead them to another spot. They weren't headed back to the mansion, that much was obvious. They ended out in a very small clearing. There was a large rock in the center of it and there was many wooden sculptures and wood shaving around it.

Jiro stopped, taken aback.

"Whoa...d-did you do all of this?" He asked.

Chiyo nodded and poorly attempted to hide her smirk. 

"It's only natural for you to be amazed by my skill. A sorceress such as me has no reason to slack on her work. My magic my not be at it's full power, but I still have my natural attributes." She mused.

Jiro followed the girl over to the large rock and followed her example when she set her pile of wood down next to it. His eyes landed on one of the smaller carvings. 

"Whoa. Y-you're very talented." He said, staring at the wooden lion face.

"I believe that is why your kind call me an 'Ultimate'. Besides, I don't expect anyone else to take this title but me. My skill has been forged with hardship and agonizing pain." She said, her eyes flaming with an unknown emotion.

Jiro noticed the change and looked around for something to change the subject with.

"H-how long have you been making these? I mean, since you've woken up here." He asked quickly. 

Chiyo sat herself down on the large rock. Her cape blew gently in the wind, making her look rather elegant.

"I have been at work for a few days. My magic must be contained and regenerated by figures such as the ones here. I find it rather strange that your species considers my work to be so intriguing. This is all simple sorcery." She explained. 

She picked up one of the small logs that Jiro had collected and took out what he assumed to be a carving knife. 

Chiyo immediately got to work. Jiro could help but be impressed by how fluid and weightless her movements were. It was astounding. It was truly worth the title of an Ultimate.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but soon, Chiyo had finished. She turned the wooden sculptures towards him. His jaw practically hit the ground.

(It was a small statue of a squirrel, right down to the smallest details)

"Heh. I see you are speechless. I suppose that is a proper reaction to such skill beyond your wildest imagination." Chiyo said, brushing the wood shavings off of herself.

Something else caught Jiro's eye. 

"H-hey! You're bleeding!" He exclaimed.

Chiyo seemed confused for a moment before she looked down at her hands. It was true. She had a few cuts on her hands, most likely some splinters as well.

"Ah, this body that I have is very fragile. You should not cause yourself unnecessary alarm." She said.

This didn't stop Jiro from worrying. 

"C-come on. I'll take you to the i-infirmary." Jiro said, gesturing for Chiyo to follow him.

"Hmph. Do you really expect me to listen to the orders of a puny adolescent such as yourself? Pathetic." She hissed, crossing her arms.

Jiro sighed and turned back towards her.

"I-if you don't treat those cuts, they'll become infected and I imagine that's not a pleasant feeling. So please consider coming with me." He begged.

Chiyo raised an eyebrow at the boy. A smile tugged at her lips and she couldn't suppress the laugh she made. It bellowed throughout the clearing.

"Well, you have peaked my interest, so I have decided to humor you. Take me to this 'infirmary' and don't bore me, Kinoshita-san." She said, smirking wildly.

Jiro let out an exhausted sighed and beckoned for Chiyo to follow him back to the mansion.

-

10:15 am.

"Huh? T-that's weird..." Jiro mumbled.

"How so?" Chiyo questioned.

Jiro took another crack at trying to turn the doorknob to the infirmary. It didn't work.

"It's locked...I guess someone's already in there..." he said. Turning back towards her. 

Now, Jiro could feel something. A terrible something. It was a feeling you get when you know you did something wrong, or when you're waiting for a very important answer. It was a lingering feeling of dread. 

And at that very moment, a scream sounded from the second floor.

Jiro widened his eyes. Someone was in trouble! Without thinking, his feet began moving, carrying him towards the stairs. He didn't notice that Chiyo wasn't far behind him.

Once they got to the second floor, Jiro almost ran directly into Itsuki. The first noticeable thing about the Ultimate Tailor was how ghostly pale his face was. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were bloodshot with fear. 

" _¡Dios mío, es horrible!_ I cannot believe my eyes!!" The tailor said, clearly shaken up.

"K-Kudo-san! C-calm down! What did you see?" Jiro asked.

Itsuki looked behind him and then back at Jiro.

"Th-the boutique! _Esta en la boutique!!_ " He said, pointing in the direction.

Jiro had been in the boutique only once since they woke up here. It was only out of curiosity. It was definitely a place that you would find the Ultimate Tailor. 

Slowly and uncertainly, Jiro turn the corner and walked towards the boutique. The door was wide open and the lights were one.

Chiyo was next to Jiro. She had a defensive look in her eyes.

"I do not like this. I sense powerful dark magic...." she murmured. 

Not paying much attention to the other, Jiro moved forwards and braced himself to see what could have sacred Itsuki so badly.

Then he....

Slowly...

Looked past...

The doorway....

....

......

........

And inside....

....

_....blood...._

......

_So much blood...._

......

.........

Was this real? It couldn't be real. No one....no one would do this....

....

Right?

.......

No....

If this wasn't real.....then why was Yasha lying in his own blood on the floor?!?

***Ding Dong Ding***

All at once, the monitors that were everywhere turning on at once.

" **A body has been discovered! Everyone please assemble at the boutique on the third floor. All rooms will be unlocked for investigation purposes. After a certain amount of time, a class trial will be held. Now, investigate!** "

After that, the monitors all flickered off. Jiro remained staring at the center of the room. 

"Tsk. Humans are such feral and deceiving beings. It makes sense that they would do something so lowly." Chiyo said, although it looked like she was straining to keep her composure.

One of the first ones to arrive at the boutique was Mizuki. The second that she laid eyes on the room, she spun on her heels and turned away.

"Oh dear god!!! Oh my god oh my god oh my god...." she placed her shaking hands over her mouth. 

The next people were Leiko and Gin. However, they had a very odd reaction. Once Leiko laid eyes on Yasha's corpse, she gasped and turned away, hugging Gin tightly.

The Ultimate Bodyguard gently coaxed the girl in his arms. He ran his hands through her hair in an attempt to calm her down. 

Jiro could just barely make out a few words that they exchanged.

"...I-it's them...it's them again....I-I can't....."

"Shh shh shhhh. It's not them. They won't hurt you. I won't let them." 

One by one, each of the students showed up and they all stood in the boutique.

" **Wowie! Way to start off with a bang! This is the kind of despair that I'm talking about!** " 

" _ **O-Oh dear....this is horrible. Absolutely horrible. You're absolutely horrible, Monokuma....**_ "

The group of students looked at the two mechanical animals that appeared near them.

"Oi, the hell is this about? Did one of you do this?" Nao asked, approaching the bear and cat.

" **Of course not! I leave the killing to you folks. Besides, it's against my rules to harm one of the students unless they tried to damage me first. Scouts honor.** " Monokuma said, holding up one of his paws.

"In what world does that let us believe you?" Benjiro scoffed.

" **Anyways. You're wasting my precious time with all your yapping! I advise that you get investigating before I blow one of my circuits. And if you need any small information, then refer to your trusty Monopads! In there, I have a Monokuma file, filled with all the juicy details about the murder. Now go you bastards!** " Monokuma disappeared after that.

Jiro reached into his pocket and pulled out his own Monopad. After a bit of searching, he found the so called 'Monokuma Files'.

"I-I-I found it....I-it says....

Victim Name: Yasha Fukuda

Estimated time of death: 9:30 am - 9:45 am

Victim was found in: Boutique

Possible murder weapon: Kitchen knife

Notable injuries: Chest has been caved in. Stab wound in stomach. 

Possible cause(s) of death: lack of oxygen or blood loss.

Other notes: Kitchen knife found near body. Was probably stabbed more than once. 

....and that's all there is..." Jiro finished.

It was silent for a long time after that. No one knew what to do.

"O-Okay....I know we're all probably scared, b-but I think it's best if we start investigating. If we don't, I don't know what would happen to us. But I also don't want to find out." Mizuki spoke up.

Jiro decided to back her up.

"I-if this really is a murder mystery, then I doubt we'll find all the evidence in one room. It's best if we split off, preferably into pairs, and search each room. I-if it's okay with everyone, I'd like to search this room." He said.

Everyone stared at Jiro with many mixed expressions. However, no one voiced their complaints.

Jiro turned towards Mizuki and offered his hand to her.

"L-lets search here together, o-okay?" He asked.

Mizuki smiled weakly and nodded. 

"I'm with you."

-

After everyone split off into pairs to search the other rooms, this just left Jiro and Mizuki. And Gin, who insisted on guarding the door, in case anyone inside or outside tried to tamper with evidence. 

"Where should we start?" Mizuki asked, looking towards Jiro for guidance.

"It says that the body has more than one possible cause of death. It says his chest was caved or crushed in, and he was stabbed in the stomach. I think we know what the murder weapon was, but I don't want to jump to conclusions." Jiro started, picking up the bloody knife on the floor.

Mizuki looked highly uncomfortable to be so close to a dead body of someone she once knew when they were alive. 

"W-why is he here in the first place? This doesn't seem like the place that he would be." Mizuki pointed out.

Jiro fixed his gaze on Yasha's body. He slowly approached the corpse and placed a hand on the dip in the chest. 

"W-Whoa! Why are you touching it?!" Mizuki asked.

Jiro quickly drew his hand back, startled by her words.

"I-I was just checking th-the injuries! Don't scare me like that!" Jiro retorted.

Mizuki sighed.

"Sorry....I guess I'm just a bit on edge." 

"It's only natural. I am too..." he reassured her.

He slowly got to his feet again.

"Can you help me look around for anything that might seem suspicious?" Jiro requested.

Mizuki nodded and began to scan around the room.

Jiro continued to examine the body. It was a bit troubling to him. He leaned forwards slightly and took note of something.

' _There's dried tears on his cheeks. Was it from the pain, or was he crying over something else._ '

A much more major thing to note was now Yasha's eyes were bloodshot and his face was almost blue. It puts more indication in the fact that he couldn't breathe.

"Hey, Jiro-san, I think I found something." Mizuki called from the back of the boutique.

Jiro quickly went to Mizuki and stood beside her.

"What is it?" He asked.

"This. It looked like it was thrown on top of one if the racks of clothes." She said, pointing.

Jiro followed her gaze to a small blanket of a light purple fabric. It was mostly wrinkled. However, it was also soaked in blood. 

"W-why is this all the way back here? Did the murder try to hide it?" Jiro wondered aloud.

"They did a pretty lousy job if they did." Mizuki commented.

Suddenly, Gin's voice piped up from the doorway.

"Kinoshita-san. Ookami-san and Nekoshara-san said that they've found something."

Jiro glanced at Mizuki for a second before heading towards the door. The two girls were there waiting for him.

"Sorry to bother you, but I thought it would be best to show you what we've found since you seem to know what you're doing for the most part." Sai explained.

"O-okay...um...Mizuki-san, can you stay here and guard the door with Kojima-san?" He asked.

Mizuki nodded.

Jiro smiled at her then turned back to Sai.

"Alright, l-lead the way." 

-

"It's in here." Sai said, opening the door to the workout/gym room. 

(It looked like a regular small gym. Lockers along the side of the wall and various exercise equipments.)

Jiro followed Sai over to a set of lockers that were against the wall. The first thing Jiro noticed was the faint, almost invisible red footprints that faced one of the lockers. 

"Did you open it yet?" He asked.

Sai shook his head.

Jiro sighed and grabbed hold of the knob on the locker and pulled it open. At first, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then he saw the single dumbbell resting at the bottom of the locker. 

"I-it's...just a weight?" He said, confused.

Jiro reached down and attempted to pick up the dumbbell with one hand, clearly underestimating it's weight. He used his other hand as well and still, it didn't budge at all. 

Soon, he gave up on trying to lift it. His face flushed red as he turned and noticed the two girls staring at him in pity.

"If I may..." Sai reached down and grabbed the dumbbell with both hands, lifting it up and out of the locker and onto the floor.

Jiro resisted the urge to curl up in the corner and wallow in his own shame, but he had other things to do.

He turned his eyes back to the locker, where the dumbbell say before. He knelt down in front of the open locker and ran his hand along the dent in the bottom of it.

"These probably weren't meant to hold that much weight. Someone probably tossed that dumbbell in here. But they would've had to have been a bit athletic..." he voiced his thoughts aloud.

Sai watched him in mild interest.

"You seem to know a lot about this stuff, Jiro-kun. Maybe it ties to your ultimate talent." She said, smiling weakly.

Jiro turned his head away bashfully.

"I-I doubt it...I just overthink things way more than I should...." he said.

Jiro got to his feet and scanned the room again. He looked towards the racks of dumbbells and his eyes fell on an empty spot. There was one missing. 

At least they knew where it was.

" **Alright you bastards! Investigation time is over! Please head to the ballroom so that I can get you to the trial grounds.** " Monokuma's voice rang throughout the room, startling practically everyone.

"What? I don't think that was enough time for a real investigation." Jiro stressed.

Sai glanced towards the Kaze, whom had yet to speak, and back at Jiro.

"It's best if we head down now. Who knows what will happen if we're late." She suggested.

"I-I....I guess you're right..."

-

" **Is everyone here? Great! Now everyone please step into the elevator.** "

"Huh?! Where the hell did that even come from?!" Benjiro asked, staring at the elevator in absolute astonishment.

" _ **I find it best if we don't question it.....**_ " Monokitty mumbled sadly.

Slowly and reluctantly, each of the students stepped onto the elevator. Once everyone was on, the doors closed and the elevator began descending.

Jiro's heart was currently pounding out of his chest. There was so much tension that it was practically choking him.

It was subtle, but he felt someone's hand slip into his own. He glanced back and was met with Sai's hazel eyes. Unconsciously, they laced their fingers together, finding comfort in the presence of one another. 

Not too long later, the elevator came to an abrupt stop, then the doors opened, revealing the trial room.

(A circle of podiums, like a court in some way)

" **Now, everyone go to the podium that has your name on it so that we can begin.** " Monokuma instructed.

One by one, the students found their assigned podiums and took their places. 

Jiro noticed something odd. In the spot where Yasha probably would have stood, there was a picture in a wooden pole.

**(A/N: Wanna see the death portrait? Go read this on my Wattpad at CaramalTiger47)**

' _Some sick way of honoring the dead_ '

But he had to focus on the matter at hand.

He was nervous. No, that was an understatement. He was terrified. There was a killer among them.

But part of him didn't want to let this killer go without justice.

Yasha Fukuda, the Ultimate Executioner. Despite his talent, he was surprisingly friendly, perhaps a bit too much though. He had a few weird things about him but that was just how he was.

And someone in this room....killed him.

It's up to Jiro to uncover the culprit of this case. Even though his own knowledge is limited, he still will give it his all.

" **Alright, lets begin with an explanation of the class trial. You all will debate amongst yourselves, using evidence collected during the investigation phase, to determine the culprit. The trial ends when the culprit - known as the "Blackened" - is uncovered, and ultimately executed. Now! Begin!** "


	8. Dear Friend, It Was Never Meant To Be

" _ **Oh dear oh dear this is so very stressful. It's depressing enough that we had to be here in the first place...**_ " Monokitty mumbled.

" **What's the deal?! None of you have said a single word since this trial started! If you guys continue to make me bored, I'll just execute all of you bastards!** " Monokuma threatened.

"Wh-what are we even supposed to do?! I don't think any of us have ever been in a situation like this before!" Mizuki countered.

Jiro took a deep breath and straightened his posture.

"I-if I can, I'd like to start us off. S-so we found the body in the boutique. Does anyone have anything to ask?" He questioned.

"I-I have a question. Wh-who was the last p-person to see Yasha-kun....a-alive....?" Akito asked quietly.

"Oh! I believe it was me! I saw him headed to the workout room around 9:25!" Guren announced.

"The workout room, huh?" Jiro mumbled, deep in thought. 

"An-anyways....maybe we should....establish the murder weapon...?" Sai suggested.

"Is that even a question? It's obviously the...um..the uh...stabby thingy..." Haise made a stabbing motion with her hand.

"...the...knife..?" Mizuki said, mixed between confusion and fear.

"Yeah that!" Haise confirmed.

"The Monokuma Files said that the victim was stabbed in the chest, probably more than once." Benjiro said.

"I-It did. However, it a-also said something else." Jiro added.

"Ara ara~, what else could there have been?" Guren practically purred.

' _What else did the Monokuma Files say that could contradict Yasha dying from blood loss?_ '

" **I-I got it!** "

"It a-also said that the victims chest had been caved in, probably by blunt force." Jiro said.

A few students looked disgusted by this fact.

"That probably means he was unable to breathe due to his broken ribs puncturing his lungs." Hiroto said.

"What does that have to do with the murder weapon?" Gin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wh-what I'm trying to say, is that th-the knife wasn't the thing that dealt the f-fatal blow." Jiro sputtered.

"Then...what was?" Leiko asked. She had been silent since the trial began, seemingly too upset to participate.

"I...don't know, but it couldn't h-have been the knife." Jiro answered.

"Then let's hear some ideas about what it could've been." Hiroto suggested.

"What if someone smacked him over the head with a pipe?" Haise suggested.

"Where would they get a pipe? Besides, he was hit in the chest, not the head." Mizuki said.

"Okay....what if someone hit him over the head with a bat?" Haise suggested again.

"That's barely any different. And once again, he was hit in the chest, not the head." Mizuki muttered.

"What else was there to use in the boutique?" Itsuki asked. "I spent the majority of my time there after discovering it, and I did not find anything that would have been capable to kill." 

"Ah, but we shouldn't be so small minded." Hiroto spoke.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Akito asked.

"Not all things for murder can be found at the site of the crime." Hiroto said.

' _Hah! Th-there!_ '

" **I agree!** "

"Yokoyama-san is right. There could have been other places that the culprit could get a weapon. A-and I think I have a good idea of what it could've been." Jiro said, fiddling with his hands.

"Really? Then feel free to tell us more." Nao said, his voice low and cautious.

Jiro gulped.

"U-um...back when I was investigating the workout room, I noticed that there were bloody footprints on the floor. They were right next to a closed locker. When I opened it, I found one of the dumbbells that would normally be on the rack with the rest of them. It looked like someone had tried to hide it in there. They probably tossed it in a hurry too since it dented the bottom of the locker." Jiro explained.

"Ah, yes. Me and Ookami-san were there as well so we can back up his claim." Sai said, smiling weakly.

Haise chuckled.

"I don't share any memories with Sis so I don't remember a single thing! I don't even know which one of us was with you guys at the time!" She said, sounding rather excited for some reason.

"Well. That's not very helpful." Mizuki said.

"A-anyways, back to what we found, I think it's possible th-that the dumbbell was the murder weapon." Jiro concluded. 

"Please explain, Kinoshita-san." Gin said.

Jiro gulped, again.

"We-well...we know that his chest was caved in. So no other thing could've made that much of an impact." He said, shakily.

"B-but....none of us a-are strong enough t-to throw th-that!" Akito protested quietly.

"How do you know that? Plenty of us could have hidden strength." Nao interjected.

"I-I um..." the poor philologist was too intimidated by Nao's stare to finish their sentence.

"Alright, prepare yourselves for the power of my genius mind. I know who the blackened is!" Benjiro suddenly announced.

"Y-you do?!" Akito asked.

"Yes. During the investigation time, I was searching the infirmary. That's where I found a discarded letter that was telling someone to go to the workout room. Who it was addressed to, has been smeared with blood, but it's probably Yasha Fukuda. And it's from none other than you, Jiro Kinoshita!" Benjiro exclaimed.

All eyes turned towards the mystery student. Jiro widened his eyes in shock. He felt like a a huge spotlight was now on him.

"H-Huh?!!" Jiro spluttered.

"Pardon me, Arai-san, but how do we know you are telling the truth. I don't want to start anything but you could quite easily be lying about what you found." Sai stepped in to defend her friend.

"I hate to side with him, but he's telling the truth. I was there when he found the note in the trash." Nao spoke up, surprising everyone. 

Including Benjiro, who looked very thrown off.

"Erm, yeah okay. I'm not lying about what I found!" He declared, holding a small piece of paper up in the air and waving it around.

"Hold up shortstack, what does the note even say?" Haise asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Bwah?! S-Shortstack!? I'll have you behind bars!" Benjiro said, stomping his foot indignantly.

"Heh, you'll have to find me first!" Haise challenged playfully. 

"H-hang on. Let's focus. Arai-san, what did the note say? I'm curious." Mizuki interrupted.

Benjiro looked hesitant to comply but he simply sighed and read the note aloud.

"It says: I think someone has been following you around lately. Meet me in the second floor gym room around 9:30 today and I'll explain it in better detail. And don't tell anyone else about this, I don't want them trying to hurt you. Signed, Jiro Kinoshita" he finished.

Jiro quickly stepped forward.

"I-I didn't write that! Someone probably used my name!" He protested. "We can't just toss the blame around. We need solid evidence and-"

" **What are you?! Broken?!** " 

' _Wha- is he..?_ '

"I commend you for your resistance. But I assure you, that it's the end of the line for you." Benjiro sneered.

_**(Rebuttal Showdown Start!)** _

"Now tell me, Kinoshita-san. Why am I wrong for accusing you? I have the evidence right here." Benjiro began.

*strike*

"You wrote the note to our victim and lured him to the workout room..."

*miss*

"Then...BAM! You killed him in cold blood!"

*strike*

"N-no I didn't! And have y-you forgotten, his body was found in the boutique, not the workout room!" Jiro protested.

"That doesn't matter. You could have moved it." Benjiro continued.

*miss*

"You say that you don't remember your own talent. And that's completely unbelievable. You don't just forget your talent but remember everything else about yourself! That makes you the most suspicious out of any of us!"

*miss*

"You don't have anything against me. No evidence, nor do you have an alibi. You're finished!" 

' _A-ah!_ '

" **N-No, that's wrong!** "

***Break***

"H-hang on! I can prove that I was e-even nearby when the cr-crime took place!" Jiro rebutted.

"Do we even need to hear it? You're obviously guilty." Benjiro said, crossing his arms.

Someone else stepped up to defend Jiro.

"Arai-san, don't forget that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Let's hear him." Hiroto said, smiling. Although, his smile was so abnormally devoid of emotion.

Jiro gulped and shifted his stance. He was almost certain that he looked incredibly unsure of himself.

"I-I was with Namida-san in the woods at the time. She was showing me her carving skills. I think we were there for an hour or so, which means neither of us were even close to the murder scene at the time." Jiro explained.

"The young apprentice speaks the truth. He was with me at this time, basking in the glory of my magecraft." Chiyo said, smirking.

"Which means, you accused the wrong person, Arai-san." Mizuki said, although it was hard to miss the subtle relief in her voice.

Benjiro's face became bright red and he balled his hands into fists. Almost like an angry toddler, he stomped his foot on the ground in the rage.

"Damnit damnit damnit!! I thought I was onto something!! Damnit!!!" The creator cursed.

Ignoring his tantrum, the students continued.

"But now we have a new mystery on our hands. The note. I'm curious as to why it was found in the infirmary of all places. But, that aside, I guess this means that someone was planning on luring someone to the workout room." Haku deduced.

"B-but the body was f-found in the b-boutique!" Akito said.

"Ah, but that doesn't mean that they were killed there. They could've been killed in the workout room and the killer moved them to throw us off." Guren said, smiling.

"How could they have moved him without causing suspicion? Were there not people in the lounge at the time. If the killer wanted to move the body, they would've had to pass by the lounge. Not to mention the staircase too." Gin pointed out. 

"Now now, think about it. As I recall, around 9:40 or so, Haku-chan and me decided to leave the lounge. I went to the music room while she went off on her own. That would've been a perfect time to move the body." Guren interrupted.

Jiro narrowed his eyes at the girl. She was smiling as always but something was wrong. 

She knew something.

"Actually, when you two ladies exited the lounge, that's when I took a place in there. I passed Fuyuna-san on my way up." Hiroto said, causing everyone to go silent.

"Forgive my ignorance, Yokoyama-kun, but aren't you blind? You wouldn't have been able to see them." Leiko spoke up.

Hiroto merely smiled. 

"Ah, yes. I suppose you could say that. I am indeed, blind. However, my friends act as my eyes. If they saw anything suspicious, they would've alerted me. However..." Hiroto trailed off as the bird in the cages began to tweet furiously. 

"What is it, my friends? Do you know something? If so, please tell us what you saw." The birdkeeper said. 

Before anyone could protest, the boy set the cages down and opened the doors. Almost immediately, the birds inside flew out. They were all headed to one single spot. 

While chirping loudly, they each circled around one persons head. 

Jiro widened his eyes at the accused student.

Guren. 

The girl smiled and watched as the birds flew circles around her head.

"Ara~ How extravagant." She mused, completely unfazed.

As the birds returned to their cages, only one person had the gall to speak up.

"Isukama-san. Didn't you say that you were headed to the music room?" Gin asked.

Guren nodded.

"Yup yup!" She said.

"Wait a minute! I was on the balcony for awhile, which gave me a view of the hallway as well. Surely I would've noticed something like that..." Sai objected.

"Well, did you see anything?" Haise asked.

"W-well....I thought I saw someone, but they didn't look anything like Guren-san." She said.

"A-are you sure you weren't just mistaken? If you were on the balcony, you would've been pretty far away...." Jiro said.

"Jiro-kun..."

"Do you all actually trust the claim of a few feathered pests?! We have no reason to believe that it was actually Isukama-san." Benjiro scoffed.

"B-But, it makes sense! A-at the time, she would've been in the r-right spot." Akito argued.

"As a man of strict moral, it is wrong of me to accuse a lady without enough evidence." Itsuki said, standing proud.

"Forgive me for being so indecisive, but....I just don't think that Isukama is capable of such a thing." Leiko said softly.

"If that is what you think, then that is what I think as well." Gin said once Leiko finished speaking.

"As a sorceress, I know black magic when I see it. If she is not the killer, then I will personally wait for for the Great Mage to burn me at the stake once more." Chiyo declared.

' _I-I guess that means she thinks Guren did it._ ' Jiro thought.

"What are you rambling about now?" Benjiro sighed.

" _As much as I hate to make this prediction_

 _It seems that we are at a split opposition._ " Ryo spoke up for the first time, but still talking in rhyme.

" **Hooold on a second!** "

Everyone looked towards the bear in confusion.

" **Split? Did you just say split?** " Monokuma asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

" _ **O-oh dear....you shouldn't have said that...**_ " Monokitty mumbled.

" **...then Soaring Heights Manor is proud to present its very own morphinominal trial grounds!!** " Monokuma declared.

Everyone almost fell as their podiums began to lift into the air in a spiral motion. The podiums stopped when they reached a small room. Each of the students were on one side, considering what they are arguing for.

**{Scrum Debate - Start!}**

**(Arguments: Guren Moved Yasha's Body vs. She Didn't)**

"Forgive me for being against you, Jiro-kun, but I refuse to believe that Guren-san is the blackened." Sai began.

Jiro took a look at who was on his side.

" **H-Haku-san!** "

"No one has accused her yet. We're just saying that it's possible that she moved Fukuda-san's body away from the original crime scene." Haku rebutted.

*Fire!*

"Do you really trust the word of a few animals in a life or death situation like this? They could've easily flown to the wrong person." Gin questioned.

" **Yokoyama-san!** " 

"I have trained my friends thoroughly. As the Ultimate Birdkeeper, training them to identify things correctly is part of my talent. Besides, they are my own trained service animals after all." Hiroto said.

*Combo!*

"That aside, Senorita Sai has stated that she did not see Guren." Itsuki protested.

" **Akito-san!** "

"Sh-she couldn't have b-been watching the hallway the whole time. There could've been plenty of opportunities." Akito stuttered.

*Fire!*

"You heathens aren't thinking logically. It could have been anyone else." Benjiro said.

" **Windrider-kun!** "

"Yet she was the one whom would have been in the perfect place to pull this off." Nao said.

*Fire!*

"But Sai-san was on the balcony at the time and she said she saw someone but they didn't look like Guren-san." Mizuki said.

Jiro widened his eyes as he realized something important.

" **I-I'll do it!** "

"You're forgetting a very crucial fact!" He shouted.

All together, everyone that was on his side yelled out at the same time.

" **This is our answer!** "

The podiums slowly lowered back into their normal places. Jiro continued talking.

"Don't you all remember her talent? She's the Ultimate Illusionist. If anyone could trick someone's mind, it would be her." Jiro stated.

Guren rested her chin in her hands and smiled sweetly.

"Nekoshara-san, what exactly did you see from the balcony?" Gin asked.

"W-well....I thought...I saw....Fukuda-kun." She said quietly.

"Just as I thought..." the bodyguard said before trailing off.

"Wait, if Guren-san really did end up tricking us, then how did the birds know that it was her?" Mizuki asked.

"That is simple, my dear. Nothing can escape the keen eyesight of a bird. They have the best vision in the world of species." Hiroto said, almost boastfully.

"Well, it seems like I've been found out." Guren said, pouting.

"You don't seem very upset. You do realize that you're now our prime suspect, right?" Nao said, crossing his arms.

"Oh I'm well aware. But I know Jizo-sama will help prove my innocence." Guren said, clasping her hands together.

"But you were found with the body, _chica..._ " Itsuki said clearly still distressed.

"Indeed. Indeed. However, there is no evidence that supports that I was the one who killed him, yes? I have an alibi!" Guren pointed out. 

"Ah, that's right...during the time of the murder, she was in the second floor lounge with Haku-san...." Mizuki recalled.

"Correct! Correct!" The illusionist said.

"But that doesn't get you off the hook. Even if you didn't kill him, you tampered with the crime scene. You moved the body from the workout room to the boutique for some unknown reason." Haku voiced her deductions.

"H-hang on! We can't just throw the blame around. Although it's indisputable that Isukama-san was involved, we still don't know her motive or who actually killed Yasha-san." Jiro interjected.

"Ara~? If you wanted to know my motive, then you could've just asked. The reason I moved things around was to make the results a lot more interesting!" Guren said, giggling.

"H-Huh?" 

"Guren-san?" 

"Y-you freak!"

Guren happily ignored the words that were thrown at her. She smiled in Jiro's direction, but something about the gesture seemed incredibly sinister to him. There was a hidden intensity in her smile.

"Aw don't be like that everyone! Imagine how boring this would've been if I hadn't done anything. We would've guessed the culprit immediately. They didn't even bother trying to cover up their tracks." Guren said.

"They didn't, Huh?" Nao mumbled.

"In a way, it kinda makes sense that the blackened wouldn't cover their tracks..." Leiko muttered to herself. 

This caused everyone to look her way.

" _Por que?_ " Itsuki questioned.

"Do you have something you want to tell us?" Benjiro asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

"I suggest that you don't talk to her like she is a child." Gin said, his voice full of malice.

"H-hang on. Um, Tsukiko-san, can you please elaborate?" Jiro stepped in.

The transfer student nodded. 

"I'm probably wrong about this but...what if the blackened wasn't in the wrong?" Leiko spoke quietly.

"Huh?"

"That's absurd! Anyone who commits something as low as murder is clearly in the wrong!" Benjiro objected, slamming his fist down on his podium. 

The creator widened his eyes and cursed loudly as he began shaking his hand in pain. Haise snorted in an attempt to hide her amusement.

"A-Actually, I know what you're trying to say, Tsukiko-san." Jiro spoke.

' _What did Leiko mean when she said the killer wasn't in the wrong?_ '

" **I-I got it!** "

"The crime was very messy and didn't seem very well thought out. That probably suggests that maybe...the crime wasn't supposed to happen..." Jiro said.

Leiko nodded.

"What are you saying, Jiro-kun?" Mizuki asked.

"W-what I'm saying, is that....maybe our 'killer' didn't mean to commit the crime." He continued.

"Are you insinuating that this was an accident, Kinoshita-kun?" Hiroto asked.

"Y-yes. It'll make more sense i-if I explain a....possibility." Jiro said.

Everyone had their attention focused on the mystery student.

"I-If we leave out what Isukama-san did, then that would mean the murder took place in the gym room. That's where that mysterious note said for someone to meet. The part that says who it was addressed to is covered in blood, so we just assumed it was to Fukuda-san. But....what if it wasn't? Wh-What if someone used my name in order to lure the killer there, in an attempt to kill them. But, the tables were turned an the person who was lured there accidentally killed out of self defense." 

"But...that would mean..." Mizuki trailed off.

"...that Fukuda-san was the first to strike, causing his victim to grab the closest thing and act out of self defense." Haku finished.

"Y-yes. They probably grabbed a dumbbell off the rack and hit Fukuda-kun in the chest." Jiro explained.

"What could've been so scary about that skinny little guy that could've made the person react like that?" Haise asked.

"We found a knife at the crime scene, right? He probably came at them with that thing." Haku said.

"Are you certain that our accidental murderer didn't bring the knife?" Chiyo asked.

Haku simply nodded. "If they actually did have the knife with them, then they wouldn't have had to take the dumbbell to protect themselves. They would've had the knife. And there wasn't any other weapons besides that so they wouldn't have reacted that badly without a threat, such as, a knife." She concluded.

"So basically, what we have so far is: Fukuda-kun led the killer into a trap, using Kinoshita-kun's name on a note they sent to them. He then took the knife from the kitchen and later went to meet his 'prey'. However, when he came at them, they retaliated by hitting him with the dumbbell. And where does that get us?" Benjiro asked.

"W-well, they probably panicked and hid the dumbbell in the locker, then they fled. Erm....Isukama-san, going off what you told us, since you supposedly moved everything, what did the room look like when you entered it?" Jiro asked, reluctant to ask the illusionist for the truth.

Guren tapped her chin thoughtfully. 

"Hm~It was surprisingly clean! Except for the corpse, of course. Well, I suppose it wasn't entirely stainless. There was a few tiny tiny bloodstains on the ground in the shape of feet!" The girl exclaimed like it was the best thing in the world.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense. Being hit with the dumbbell didn't cause him to bleed, so where did the blood come from?" Mizuki asked.

"Did you forget already, comical dame? The body was found with a stab wound branded on the stomach." Chiyo said.

"Ah ah ah~, don't skip ahead. That was my doing as well." Guren said.

"What?!"

"After I moved the body, I stabbed the body until there was enough blood around to make it convincing." Guren said.

"Y-You psychopath!" Benjiro shouted.

Guren frowned.

"I'm not a psychopath. I was just doing what Jizo-sama told me to." She argued.

"I-I....I think she's telling the truth...I-I mean, it's just a hunch, but maybe we shou-"

" **This isn't funny.** "

"H-Huh? What wr-wrong, Mizuki-san?" Jiro asked, startled.

"Ah, I know I'm a bit late in speaking up, but I had to say something. Jiro-san, I trust you wholeheartedly....but....you're really dumb." The comedian said, giving an apologetic smile.

**(Rebuttal Showdown Start!)**

"I know you're just trusting your gut." 

*strike*

"But you need to look at the facts. I'm actually surprised that you just going with what you 'assume'."

*strike*

"You're assuming that Isukama-san did what she said, but she didn't even have any blood on her."

*miss*

' _I-I have to say something!_ '

"H-how are you s-so certain? She could've used s-something to cover it up." Jiro protested.

"Yeah, but why would she have to cover herself if she didn't even commit the crime?" Mizuki countered.

*miss*

"She already carried a corpse from one room to another. Why would getting blood on her be any worse?" 

*strike*

"Besides, there wasn't anything that could've covered her."

' _T-there!_ '

" **I-I'll cut down your w-words!** "

***Break***

"A-actually, there was something that she could've used. Mizuki-san, don't you remember? When we were searching the boutique, we found that large strip of fabric that was bloody. She probably used that to block the blood splatter." Jiro explained.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I guess it slipped my mind..." the comedian said, becoming silent.

"I-it's okay, Mizuki-san." Jiro tried to reassure her.

"We're getting off track again. Although, that was pretty crucial information that we learned, I think I know what happened." Haku said, crossing her arms.

"Then please tell us." Gin requested.

"Since Fukuda-san was the first to attack, why didn't we make any room for the possibility that he succeeded?" She asked.

"H-Huh?" Akito and Jiro said at the same time.

"Are you trying to tell us that Fukuda-san managed to get one good stab in on his target before the tables were turned on him?" Nao asked.

Haku nodded.

"Then the murderer would be obvious. It's whoever is bleeding!" Haise deduced.

"Incredible. I cannot believe how dumb you are." Benjiro deadpanned.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Haise chuckled.

During their exchange, Jiro noticed that Sai had gone quite pale.

"Sai-san? A-are you alright?" The boy asked.

Sai just nodded shakily.

"Ah yes....it's just....um....Sakurai-san...." the aromatherapist choked out.

They stiffened and made a quiet squeaking noise.

"F-Forgive me but....when I ran into you on the staircase...you were clutching your stomach...." the girl began.

"N-No! It's not what y-you think! I-I told you my stomach w-was just u-upset!" Akito rebutted.

"Ah yes....I remember but....I saw you head down to the first floor and the only bathrooms are on the third floor...." Sai said.

"I-It's just a m-m-misunderstanding!" They cried.

"How did you run into them if you were on the balcony?" Gin asked.

"I saw Guren-san and Fuyuna-san leaving the lounge so I tried to go talk to them. But I ran into Sakurai-san instead.." the girl said.

Jiro suddenly remembered something that could correlate.

"H-hang on. If the killer got wounded, they would've gone to the infirmary, otherwise they would've died from blood loss. And when me and Namida-san came back in the mansion, the infirmary door was locked. Sai-san...if you really did see Akito-san go down to the first floor, then they probably went to the infirmary, which was why it was locked when I tried to open it." Jiro said.

"W-wait a minute! I-I didn't even go to the infirmary!" Akito protested.

"Then explain why Arai-san found the note in the infirmary trash, smeared with blood. Perhaps you might've purposely covered who it was addressed to." Jiro accused.

Akito blanced. "N-no I did go to th-the first floor but th-then I turned around!" The continued.

"Then wouldn't Sai-san have seen you doing this?" Jiro asked.

"Jiro-kun....maybe you shouldn't..." Sai began.

"Here's an easy way to figure this out. Lift your shirt. Nekoshara-san said you were clutching your stomach so if you can prove that you have no injuries, then we will move on." Benjiro said.

"Wh-What?! I can't d-do that!" Akito sputtered.

"Yeah, th-that's a bit much...." Jiro muttered.

"Does anyone have a better idea? It's not like sh-....they..are going to just tell us the truth." Benjiro said, making Akito visibly flinch at his slip up.

"Akito, can you please help us prove your innocence?" Itsuki asked.

"I-I...I don't k-know how to....ah....u-um..." Akito could barely make a sentence.

Suddenly, someone butted into the conversation.

"Ara Ara~, Akito-san...you shouldn't lie. It's very bad for the heart." Guren practically purred.

Akito widened their eyes. Their mouth hung open.

"I-i....I..."

Jiro sighed. 

"H-hang on, before we make the final conclusion, let's at least go over everything we've learned." The boy said.

The mystery student took a deep breath.

" **H-Here's what we know!** "

"It all started yesterday. Everyone was anxious about the motive. I still wanted breakfast. I told Akito-san they could join me. Just like a few days before, we ran into the victim. They had the same excuse for being up so early, but this time, it was a lie. Thanks to Monokitty, we know that Yasha-san had taken one of the kitchen knives before running into us in the hall that morning.   
Later that day, having been lured by the note, that was supposedly addressed from me, the blackened arrived a bit early at the workout place, with the note. Yasha-san arrived as well, wielding the kitchen knife. Yasha-san was able to stab the blackened in the stomach. The blackened then retaliated with nearby items, that being the dumbbell. Normally, they wouldn't have been able to life it. But they did, using pure adrenaline. Since they weren't tall enough to go for Yasha-san's head, they only hit his chest, crushing his ribs with the weight. Unable to breathe, Yasha-san died slowly. In a panic, the blackened quickly tried to hide their crime. They dragged the dumbbell into a locker, not knowing that they were leaving a trail of footprints on the ground. They probably forgot that they were bleeding out and then suddenly remembered. The blackened ran away and was spotted by Sai-san. She asked them if they were okay and they just said their stomach hurt and that they were going to the bathroom. But they were headed to the first floor infirmary, and the only bathrooms were on the third floor. With everyone one the third floor supposedly gone, Isukama-san began to clean up. She walked in on the crime scene after hearing a commotion. She then decided to do something. She took Yasha-san's body and moved it to the boutique. But Yokoyama-san was now sitting in the lounge and his birds saw what Isukama-san was doing. She probably knew that there would be someone around so she somehow made the illusion that Yasha-san's body was just walking on its own. She dumped the body in the bouquet. She then created the illusion of a crime by stabbing the boy with the knife while covering herself with some of the fabric from the boutique. After that, she probably left and went back to her room.   
Meanwhile, the blackened was tending to their wound in the infirmary, locking themselves inside. They discarded the note in the trash, which was a big mistake on their part.  
Later, Kudo-kun went to the boutique and found the body. He ran to the nearest person, who happened to be me.  
And the n-name of the murderer...is you... **Akito Sakurai, The Ultimate Philologist!** "

***Break***

"I-i....wait....pl-please wait!" Akito cried out.

"I-I'm sorry, Akito-san....but all the evidence doesn't tell us otherwise..." Jiro mumbled trailing off.

Akito stood in shock. Tears streaked down their face.

"I-I was j-just....protecting....my-myself...." they said, almost unable to be heard.

" **Upupu~, are we ready? Everyone cast your votes for who you think the killer is! If you don't vote, then you will be punished as well!** " Monokuma said loudly.

Left with no other choice, everyone cast their votes.

" **Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will it be the right one, or the dreadfully wrong one?** "

A monitor appeared and a slot machine appeared on it. It began to spin.

" **Ding! Ding! Ding! You all voted correctly! The killer of Yasha Fukuda was indeed Akito Sakurai!** "

_**(Case Closed)** _

——————————————————————

"Ah, so it was true then...." Sai said. Her whole body was trembling rather violently.

Jiro tried to ignore the guilt that was clawing it's way through his heart.

"I-I'm sorry....I...I-I didn't mean to kill him! He j-just....came at me so quickly...and he was telling me how he was doing it so everyone would live....but...oh god....I-I'm a horrible murderer...!!" Akito shouted, gripping the sides of their head.

"Now now, that's no way to think in your last moments. You did it only out of self defense. You are not in the wrong here." Hiroto said.

"Th-that doesn't change the fact that I took an innocent life!.....I'm so horrible...." they said, slowly breaking down. "A-and to think....that I was almost grateful...that Isukama-san moved the crime scene....because....I was selfish enough to think...that maybe I had a chance..that maybe I could go home and see my family...." they said, slowly falling to their knees.

Jiro felt like his own knees were going to give out any second. This whole thing felt so natural to him but.....it hurt. More than anything.

However, nothing hurt more than what Akito said next.

"M-momma! Momma....papa.....I wanna go home....I just wanna go home!!! Pl-please...." they sobbed. 

Jiro took a glance at the Ultimate Creator, who looked oddly similar to a child that was doing their best not to cry.

He turned to his side and noticed that Leiko was no longer on her podium. She was on Gin's podium and was hugging him tightly. He was holding her close.

Mizuki had grown rather quiet and was covering her face with her hands.

Hiroto's expression was unreadable but it was clear that he wasn't happy. 

Ryo had his hand over his heart. It looked to Jiro like he was praying.

Guren, however, was actually praying. Her hands were clasped and her eyes were closed as she mumbled to herself.

Haise was looking around in what Jiro could only describe as confusion.

Nao had his arm crossed and his head down. 

Haku looked rather indifferent, but it was clear that she was still distressed. 

Itsuki was gripping the sides of his podium, most likely out of anger. 

Chiyo had her back turned to the group and her red hood was pulled over her head. He could barely make out some of what she said.

"....foolish....wielding such dangerous dark magic as despair...."

He didn't even notice when he himself had started crying until his tears fell onto his podium.

' _What....what have I done....?_ '

" _ **Oh dear....this is absolutely horrible. You're a real monster, Monokuma....**_ " Monokitty said in anguish.

" **Upupu~ thank you. But enough with the sob stories. Let's get on to the best part!** " Monokuma said.

"The...best part?" Mizuki repeated in confusion.

Akito's eyes widened in fear.

" **Of course! You can't have a class trial without an execution!** " 

"Execution? Like, murder?" Haise asked.

" **Exactly!** "

" _ **I-I won't let you! I can't let you kill my students!**_ " Monokitty attempted to retaliate but was promptly beaten to a pulp.

" _Espere!_ Can I volunteer myself to be executed instead?!" Itsuki asked.

"Kudo-kun?" Gin spoke up, surprised.

" **Tough luck, kid. Rules are rules. I can only execute the one who committed the crime.** " Monokuma said.

Itsuki recoiled, mumbling curses in his native language. He definitely wasn't Japanese.

Akito curled up at the base of their podium.

"I don't wanna die I don't wanna die I-I don't...wanna die....please....someone help me....."

Ignoring any further interruptions, Monokuma continued.

" **Now then, I have a very special punishment for Akito Sakurai, the Ultimate Philologist. Let's give it everything we've got! It's...PUNISHMENT TIME!!!** "

_(Akito has been found guilty. Time for the punishment!)_

<><><><><><<><><><><><><><><>

_The execution begins with a chain shooting out and clamping around the blackened's neck. It then proceeded to drag them to their demise._

_A few words flashed on screen._

_‘Once upon a time~‘_

_The blackened is dropped down on what appears to be a giant book. They looked around in confusion._

_A bunch of Monokuma's swarm the blackened and pin them down on the page._

_A giant Monokuma appears, holding a large quill pen._

_The blackened struggles to get loose._

_The giant Monokuma stabs the giant pen into the blackened's stomach, drawing large amounts of blood as they scream in agony._

_The giant Monokuma begins to use the pen to write in the book, using blood._

_Whenever the blood would run out, the Monokuma would stab the blackened again to get more._

_Once the giant Monokuma was done writing, it grabbed both sides of the large book and slammed it shut, crushing the blackened between the pages with a sickening crunch._

_A thick crimson liquid seeped through the pages._

_The screen flashes the words_

_‘The end.’_

_Then the screen goes to static._

——————————————————————

Jiro stared at the screen in complete and utter horror. He could feel bile rising in his throat as he processed what he just witnessed. 

" **Wowie! Talk about a crushing performance!** " Monokuma said.

"Y-you monster! How could you kill someone like it was nothing!? Like their life didn't even matter!!?" Leiko shouted, startling everyone around her, except for Gin, whom pulled something from his pocket.

It took Jiro a moment to see the glint of the blade and recognize a dagger.

Leiko placed a hand over Gin's arm that held the blade and gently shook her head.

"Please don't..." she whispered.

Gin nodded and pocketed the dagger.

" **If you guys are done sulking, then head back towards the elevator.** " Monokuma said.

One by one, reluctantly, each of the students returned to the elevator and the doors closed behind them. 

The elevator jerked before it began to ascend.

No one said a word as the elevator rose.

Not even when they made it back to the ballroom. Everyone just went their separate ways.

-

Jiro returned to his room. Well...now it was just his room.

He couldn't shake off the guilt that was gnawing at his chest. He couldn't make amends for what he did.

He was about to lay down when he noticed a piece of paper sitting on the desk. 

' _This must be the note that they were writing to their family._ ' 

However, when Jiro picked up the piece of paper, he couldn't read any of the words. They were in a kind of writing that he wasn't able to decipher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Remember Thy Name_


	9. Dot Dot Dot Dot, Dash Dash Dash, Dot Dash Dash Dot, Dot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to whoever can figure out what the title means.

" **Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day in your despairingly dreary killing game life!** "

Jiro groaned as his sleep was cut off abruptly by the morning announcement. He still couldn't fully move his body yet, which led him to rolling off the bed and hitting the floor face first.

He sighed.

"Too bad that didn't kill me." He mumbled. 

The body shakily lifted himself off of the ground and looked around. Part of him still expected to see Akito on the couch or maybe at the desk. But there was nothing. 

-

Jiro showed up to breakfast an hour or so late. No one was there when he arrived so he assumed that he had just missed everyone.

However, there was someone else to greet him.

" _ **Ah, Kinoshita-san. You're a little late. That's not a problem though. What would you like to eat?**_ " Monokitty asked, dressed in an apron and a chef hat.

"U-um...anything is fine....thanks..." he mumbled, pulling his hood over his head.

Jiro could hear Monokitty leave and begin to rustle around in the kitchen. This left him with some time to think.

' _Some of my memories are coming back. I can remember small things about my talent but I still can't figure it out. This is frustrating..._ '

"Jiro? _¡Buenos días!_ Are we the only ones down here so far?" 

Jiro turned his attention to the boy that just walked through the doors. 

"Ah, g-good morning Kudo-kun. I honestly thought that I was the late one..." he mumbled.

Itsuki laughed wholeheartedly and sat down beside Jiro.

" _Está bien_. Don't worry." 

" _ **Order up! Oh! Good morning, Kudo-san. I didn't know you were here. What would you like to eat?**_ " Monokitty asked, emerging from the kitchen and setting Jiro's breakfast down in front of him.

Jiro nodded in thanks.

"Ah, any amazing Japanese breakfast would be fine!" The tailor said, sending a charming smile towards the robotic teacher.

" _ **Alright! Coming right up. As your teacher, and chaperone, I'll make sure you get a nice full and healthy meal in your belly!**_ " Monokitty announced determinedly before disappearing into the kitchen.

Jiro began to eat his breakfast slowly. It didn't taste bad at all.

"Ah, by the way, Jiro. After you and I finish our meals, would you like to help me with a special side project that I have been working on all night?" The taller boy asked, resting his head on his hand.

Jiro raised an eyebrow and glanced at Itsuki out of the corner of his eye.

"N-no offense, Kudo-kun...but...I don't t-trust you enough..." the black haired boy admitted.

The tailors smile seemed to waver for a split second. Blink and you would miss it. 

"O-oh...that is fine! I was just wondering, yeah? I apologize if I come off as suspicious to you." Itsuki said, gently pulling at the rim of his fedora.

Jiro finished his meal and set his utensils down. Just as he did, Monokitty appeared with breakfast for Itsuki. 

" _ **Bon Appetite!**_ " The mechanical cat said.

Itsuki nodded and thanked her.

Jiro stood up and took his empty plate into the kitchen. He placed it next to the sink and made his way back to his room. 

-

10:36 am

Jiro had been so distracted that he had forgotten about something very important. 

Guren. 

That girl tampered with a murder scene and could've gotten them all killed. 

Something had to be done about her. Which is why Jiro sat in the third floor lounge, trying to figure out the best way to confront her.

"Jiro-san? Are you alright?" 

Jiro was snapped out of his thoughts by a familiar voice. He looked up and was met with hazel eyes.

Immediately, it's like a weight was lifted.

"Ah, I'm fine, Sai-san. Why?" He asked.

Sai sat down next to him on the couch and rested her hands in her lap.

"Well, I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes but you've been pretty deep in thought." She explained.

Jiro's face flushed red and looked away.

"S-sorry...I do that a lot...." he said.

"Mind sharing what's on your mind? You don't have to though." 

Jiro hesitated for a moment. He didn't know if Sai shared the same suspicions about Guren. He figured that he would just have to wing it.

"It's just....Isukama-san. I don't think it's safe to let her off the hook after what she did. She could've gotten us killed..." he admitted.

Sai tilted her head to the side, curiously. 

"Oh? I think I see where you're coming from, but maybe you should...give up." She suggested.

Jiro blinked. Did he just hear that right?

"H-huh?"

Without warning, Sai began to crawl towards Jiro on all fours. She had a predatory look in her eyes. 

"I said...you should just give up....Jiro-chan....she's smarter than you think...you should stop getting in her way..." 

Soon, their faces were only centimeters apart. Jiro's heart was about to pound right out of his chest. 

"I-Isukama-san...stop!!" He managed to say. 

The second that he said this, Sai's body began to change into someone else entirely. 

"Ara Ara~ Jiro-chan. Looks like you saw through my act." Guren said. She was practically on top of Jiro now.

"Wh-What d-do you want?!" He spat.

Guren smiled devilishly and gently caressed his cheek with her hand.

"I want you to allow me into your mind. Submit to me." She said.

Her voice was slowly lulling Jiro into a state of helplessness. He found that he couldn't move his body. 

Was he going to die?

It was likely. He couldn't move at all and she could easily kill him now.

"Hm?"

However, fate was on his side that day.

"Ah, Isukama-san. I'm gonna have to ask you to step away from Jiro-san right now. I may not be an expert in this kind of stuff but it's clear that he isn't enjoying whatever it is that you're doing to him." 

'' Jiro felt instantly relived that someone had come to his rescue.

"Ara? I'm just playing around with him, Mizuki-chan...can't a girl have a little fun from time to time?" Guren asked, slowly climbing off of Jiro.

"It's nice to have some fun every once in a while but your interpretation of 'fun' seems to be a bit..." Mizuki looked towards Jiro "...illegal." 

Guren tilted her head to the side. She began walking towards Mizuki and then casually passed her. As she did, she whispered something.

" _He_ whispers to me."

Mizuki raised an eyebrow and watched as Guren disappeared around the corner. The second she did, Mizuki rushed to Jiro's side.

"Alright, Lady's Man. Are you able to move?" The comedian asked.

Jiro attempted to access his limbs again, leading to him accidentally falling off the couch.

"Whoa! I said move not die." Mizuki said, grabbing Jiro's arm and hauling him to his feet.

Jiro almost immediately wrapped his arms around Mizuki in a tight hug.

"Th-thankyousomuchithoughtiwasgonnadie!!!" He spluttered.

Mizuki's eyes widened and her face displayed a mix of pity and amusement.

"Hey hey, calm down. Please talk in a way that is actually decipherable. I don't think I understood a single word that you just said. Did you say something about a possum?" She asked, smiling playfully.

Jiro chuckled weakly and pulled away from her.

"S-still, I owe you one." He said.

"Anyways, you wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"I....I'm not sure....to be honest....I don't r-really remember most of that encounter for some reason. I just know that it's dangerous to leave her to do what she likes." Jiro explained.

Mizuki looked back the way that she saw Guren and leave and stayed silent for a moment.

"Hey, do you know who Isukama-san rooms with? Or does she room alone?" The comedian asked.

"Erm, I checked the floor map on the Monopad and I think it said she was rooming with Tsukiko-san." Jiro responded.

Mizuki sighed.

"Ah, then I guess it would be fine to leave her for the time being." She said.

Jiro opened his mouth to state his objections but she cut him off.

"I know I know. But just hear me out. By now, you've probably figured out that Kojima-san is basically attached to Tsukiko-san at the hip. Wherever she is, he's bound to be there. Which means he's probably keeping a close eye on Tsukiko-san's room." She explained.

The second that she finished talking, she took a deep breath of air and practically fell over. 

"Jesus Christ...I really need to learn to breathe in between sentences." She wheezed.

"Um....are...you good?" Jiro asked.

Mizuki nodded.

"Despite the lack of oxygen, I'm sure I'll live. Now, what do you wanna do?" The comedian asked.

"Huh?" 

"Just to get your mind off of things. Ever since the trial, I've barely seen you smile. As a comedian, it's partially my job to make people smile." Mizuki said, flashing Jiro a thumbs up.

"A-alright....got anywhere you wanna go?" Jiro asked.

Mizuki looked skeptical for a moment a metaphorical lightbulb appeared over her head.

"I think I've got an interesting place. Hope you're ready for an adventure."

-

"Alright, here we are! I found this place just the other day." Mizuki announced. She came to a stop in front of a rickety and falling shed. 

"Um...what exactly is...that?" Jiro asked. Keeping his distance from the mysterious looking building.

He didn't know how far into the woods they were but all he knew was that he couldn't see the mansion from here. But he trusted Mizuki. Probably a bad choice, but anyways.

"Well, it's a shed. I haven't gone inside yet. Mostly because the last time I was here, I heard a lot of noises in there. Though, it could've been a raccoon or something." The comedian rambled on.

However; that's what caused Jiro to perk up. A raccoon? That was definitely a possibility, but...

"Somehow, I doubt it was a raccoon. Or any animal for that matter. Did you notice it as well?" He asked.

Mizuki looked at Jiro with a blank expression.

"Uh, probably not." She admitted.

Jiro sighed. "There aren't any animals on this island. Besides Yokoyama-san's, there aren't any birds either. Don't you find that strange?" 

Mizuki looked back towards the old shed.

"Hm. I guess that is pretty strange. But, that shouldn't stop us. Let's go!" She said, grabbing Jiro by the arm and dragging him into the small building.

The air inside wasn't much different from outside, but it was slightly stale. 

"Hang on. Let's cast some light on this." Mizuki took up here Monopad and tapped it a few times. A light similar to a flashlight appeared and helped them see around the dark room.

' _This is a pretty old shed but it's weird that it blocks out the light outside so well._ '

"Something on your mind?" Mizuki asked, turning towards him.

"N-no. I'm just....um....thinking about something...." he mumbled.

Mizuki gave him a puzzled expression. 

An eerie silence fell upon them and they both decided to continue searching. 

Jiro took his own Monopad and switched the flashlight on.

As Jiro was attempting to move a dusty wooden crate, he felt Mizuki tap his shoulder. He glanced over and froze. 

Mizuki wasn't behind him. In fact she was on the other side of the shed, indicated by the light on her Monopad. 

He slowly straightened up, not letting Mizuki leave his field a vision.

A loud thump sounded behind Jiro, making him jump. He spun around and shined his flashlight in the direction of the sound. 

There was nothing there. 

Now feeling like he was going insane, Jiro looked around. He stopped when he heard a small whisper in his ear.

" _A boy!_ "

Jiro whipped around, only to find that there was nothing there. His heart was beating erratically in his chest. 

Something caught his eye. He found himself paralyzed.

"M-Mizuki...san...." 

The comedian turned around, shining her flashlight towards Jiro. Before she could speak, she stopped.

"O-oh god....that's not good." She said simply. "Jiro-san. Come to me. Don't rush. Just walk towards me at an even pace." She instructed. Her voice was calm but fearful at the same time.

When he managed to regain his senses, Jiro began to shakily move forward. Once he made it next to her, he slowly turned around and stared at the thing that had been behind him.

The words left his mouth before he could stop himself. 

"O..Ookami...san...?" 

The girl stood there. Her facial expression was just out of view of the light, but Jiro could see the glint of red eyes staring back at him. His eyes trailed down her form until he spotted the large shard of glass that she was holding. Blood dripping down from her hand.

He gulped.

It was unclear 'which one' was currently in control, but it was obvious that it was one that hasn't been introduced yet.

The silence between them went on for another beat. 

"...Jiro....that'ssss...your name....isssn't it...?" She asked.

Jiro stiffened at the sound of his name. He didn't think lying would get him very far in this situation.

"Y-y-yes" he managed to choke out.

"A boy....they are harder to break....but ssstill fun nonethelessss. And my name isss Kuro...I'll be watching you..." the girl said.

She began to laugh quietly before her voice began louder and louder until she was laughing maniacally at the top of her lungs.

"I'll go now. Ssssee you later." She said. 

Kuro then dropped the shard of glass in her hand and exited through the door. 

Both of them remained silent for a moment.

"Wow....you really are a chick magnet, aren't you?" Mizuki said, chuckling nervously.

Jiro pulled his hood over his head.

"I-I don't wanna be...." he muttered.

"Well, you are. Whether you consent to it or not. Make the most out of it! Just um...don't get killed. That, in my opinion, doesn't sound like a good time." Mizuki teased. She playfully slapped Jiro on the back, making him stumble a bit.

"Y-you don't know how to be gentle, do you?" He asked, straitening up.

Mizuki smirked. "Guilty." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Jiro grumbled and walked towards the dormitories. They technically didn't have to go to class, as long as they had their talent. But the new home room teacher made it a mandatory thing to show up to at least the first class._

_Now he was being told to gather up his classmates, whom he didn't know all that well, and bring them to class._

_This couldn't possibly be any worse. This was the worst first year ever. And on top of that, he was certain that some of his classmates didn't even live in the dormitories._

_"Oh? You're...Kinoshita-san..? Right?"_

_Jiro turned around and found a familiar face. Well, most of a face.This boy was one of his classmates. He was wearing a face mask._

_"U-um...are you..Fukuda-san?" He asked._

_The boy nodded his head. Jiro immediately felt uncomfortable. This was the Ultimate Executioner. Although he's stated many times that he isn't a crazy murderer, Jiro can't help but feel uneasy._

_As if he sensed Jiro's unease, the boy pulled down his face mask to under his chin._

_"Ah, you're probably scared of me because of my talent. Considering your own talent, I understand. But I'm definitely not evil or anything like that. I have a strong sense of justice and feel better once horrible people are gone. Especially since they earned the death penalty. Oh! I'm probably talking your ear off. Are you looking for someone?" Yasha said._

_Jiro blinked and said nothing for a moment. Then he managed to regain his composure._

_"U-um...Mr. Kobayashi wa-wants us in homeroom." Jiro explained quietly, shrinking back._

_Yasha nodded. "Mr. Kobayashi, Huh? He's the new teacher, right? Are you going to get the rest of our classmates?" The executioner asked._

_Jiro nodded. "Y-yeah so I-I should...probably be getting them so...see you.." he said, slinking off and away from the other boy. Once he was out of sight, he slumped against the wall in relief._

_"Is he gone?"_

_Jiro nearly screamed, had he not hit his head on the wall when he jumped back._

_"Whoa! Calm down. I didn't mean to scare you, man." The girl said._

_She gave off a very passive aura, which put Jiro a little bit at ease._

_"Wh-who are you? Where d-did you come from?" He asked, clutching his heart._

_The girls smile seemed to waver a little bit before she chuckled._

_"Don't remember me, Huh? I guess that's fair. We've only been here for like, what, two weeks?" She said._

_Jiro felt his face burn in embarrassment. Due to his talent he didn't have much room in his head to remember names._

_"Oh, I wasn't being mean. Anyways, I'm Mizuki Rai, Ultimate Comedian. You don't need to introduce yourself. I remember your name." She said, holding out an inviting hand._

_Jiro hesitantly reached out and shook the girls hand. She giggled softly._

_"Wh-What?"_

_"Are you're hands always this sweaty?" She teased._

———————————————————————

3:45 pm.

"Oh, Jiro-san. I was just looking for you." 

Jiro looked up from the book he was reading and met hazel eyes with his own blue eyes. He froze in place, remembering the previous encounter with those hazel eyes.

But Guren knew better than to pull the same trick twice. Hopefully anyways.

"Sai-san? Is something wrong?" He asked. He took one of the old page markers on the area he was reading and closed the book.

"Well, Kudo-san has requested that everyone meets at the third floor lounge to present something he had been working on. I..don't actually know what it is. But you don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm just the messenger." Sai said.

Jiro tilted his head to the side.

"S-since you're going, I-I'll go too." He said. However, not even a second later he seemed to realize what he had said and his face flushed red.

"I-I-I m-mean-!" He spluttered.

Sai covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggle that escaped from her throat. This caused Jiro to looked away in shame.

"I-I'm sorry...I'm weird...." he mumbled, pulling his hood over his head.

Sai smiled. "Don't be sorry, Jiro-san. I find it reassuring." She said.

Although he wasn't blushing as hard anymore, it was hard to miss the light pink that dusted his cheeks.

-

Once they neared the third floor lounge, they began to hear multiple voices yelling back and forth. 

Jiro looked into the lounge and saw that a lot of the student had gathered there already. And the source of the fighting was coming from two in particular.

"I've told you once, and I'll tell you again. Don't go near her." Gin stated, his voice held no insinuation that he was joking.

"Why should I listen to you? You have no right to be bossing me around! Why are you even defending that girl?! She doesn't even have a real talent for gods sake!!" Benjiro argued back.

Leiko stood not too far away. She looked incredibly concerned. Benjiro's comment about her talent seemed like it really hit home. She clasped her hands together and stepped back.

Gin narrowed his eyes dangerously. He reached for something in his jacket, which caused Benjiro to take a defensive step back.

"Wh-What's happening?!" Jiro blurted out, causing everyone to turn towards him. He recoiled almost immediately.

"That's not of your business. God, I knew I shouldn't have showed up." Benjiro said, turning his back to Gin and walking to the side of the lounge. 

Once it seemed like things had calmed down, Jiro took note of who was missing.

Guren, Mizuki, Nao, and...the Ookami sisters. He was relieved about the last one.

"Kudo-kun, what did you want to show everyone?" Sai asked as she and Jiro joined the group.

" for coming, everyone. I wanted to show you something I've been working on. It's an um...Japanese tradition! _Si!_ " Itsuki said. 

He turned around and pulled off a tarp that was laying on top of something that was against the wall.

(What looked to be a shrine of sorts. It had candles and flowers strewn about it)

"These are ofrenda's! They are shrines with offerings to those who have passed. I made one for both Yasha and Akito! I even picked some flowers for each of them." Itsuki explained. 

Some of the students approached the shrines to get a closer look but some of them stayed back.

"You dare deal with the devil, human? The dark mage is unable to be tamed by such foolish behavior." Chiyo said, her voice was menacing and somehow, a breeze ruffled her cape.

No one responded to her, leaving her brooding in the corner. 

"Kudo-kun. If I may ask, do the flowers you chose have any significant meaning? Aroma oils hold many different meanings, just like flowers." Sai explained, stepping forward.

Itsuki seemed confused for a moment.

"Ah, _lo siento_. I just chose the ones that felt right. I do not know their meanings." Itsuki admitted.

"That's alright. But, maybe I can figure some of them out. The language of flowers often links back to aromatherapy so I know some of their meanings and looks." She said.

Itsuki nodded and motioned for Sai to give it a shot. No one else spoke as they watched Sai curiously. She glanced at the bouquet of flowers on Yasha's side of the shrine.

"This first flower, um I think it's called an Indian Cress flower. If I'm right about this, than it's supposed to mean resignation or departure."

(An orange flower with five petals that are streaked with red.)

"And this one is an easy one. It's a basil flower. As for its meaning, it's supposed to mean good wishes for others." 

(A clump of small flowers that were dark purple)

"This one....hm....I think it's called...sweet...um what was it? Willy? Oh! Sweet William flower. That's it. Um...I think it means....gallantry? Or valor."

(A red flower with jagged tipped petals outlined in light pink)

Once Sai finished with Yasha's flowers, she looked back at the group.

"I'm not boring you all am I?" She asked.

"N-not at all!" Jiro was the first to say.

"I'm very intrigued by your knowledge. Please continue!" Itsuki said.

"By all means Nekoshara-san, please feel free to continue." Gin offered.

"I have no idea why I'm so transfixed by this." Haku mumbled, speaking the minds of a few of the silent students.

Sai smiled and turned back to the shrine. She looked at the bouquet that was on Akito's side of the shrine.

"Alright. Um...this flower here is a pretty common one. It's just a simple daisy. From what I remember, it's supposed to mean innocence."

(A common white flower with a large yellow center)

"Hm. And this one....is a rose...I think. Wait! No! It's a Gardena, not a rose. And supposedly, it means kindness."

(Another white flowers that looks similar to a roses but the petals are more spread out than a rose)

"And....I apologize but I don't think I know what this last one is." Sai said, staring at the last oddly shaped flower.

"They're coconut flowers. It's a unisex flower." Haku spoke up.

(A flower that looked similar to a cattail. Lined with yellow flower buds)

Most of the students looked at Haku in surprise. She merely shrugged.

"I know a couple things too." She said.

"That was excellent, Senorita Sai! You too Haku! I must remember to read up on this 'language of flowers'! Now, does anyone want to say a few words in memory of our dead classmates?" Itsuki asked, looking around expectantly.

However, no one said anything. The tall boy pouted slightly.

"Ah, very well. Maybe later, _si_? That is all I wanted to show everyone!" The tailor announced.

After all that, the students dispersed, leaving a couple stragglers.

Jiro remained staring at the 'ofrenda' for a minute or two. He heard someone walk up next to him. He knew it was Sai.

Looked towards her, Jiro found that she was already looking at him.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her eyes full of concern.

Jiro gave a very crooked smile and nodded. 

"I-it's just....I still can't fathom what's h-happening. So much is g-going on in so little time....it's all just...."

"...overwhelming?" 

Jiro nodded.

"It's alright. I understand what you mean. We're all really out of our element and we're lost and afraid. We have to remember that we're just kids and that it's okay to be afraid sometimes. But we also must remember that help will eventually come for us. Someone I know once said 'If you believe, then you can do anything.'" Sai turned towards Jiro.

Reaching forward, she gently took his hand in her own. She smiled.

"So, can you promise me that you won't lose hope, Jiro-san? We can find a way off this island. Together. With everyone." She said.

Jiro felt his face burning and his heart aching. But despite this, he smiled back at her.

"I-I promise, Sai-san."


	10. Get Well Soon

[The next morning; Breakfast-]

Jiro was the first to awake. Unsurprisingly, he was the first one at the dining room.

Or so he thought. 

The moment he sat down, he heard a soft noise, not unlike a whimper. At first, he wasn't able to tell where the noise was coming from. Finally, he looked under the table.

"H-huh? Arai-san? What are you..." 

"Jiro-san, who're you talking to?" Mizuki asked, entering the dining hall.

Jiro looked towards her then back at the Ultimate creator that was curled up under the table. 

Mizuki knelt down and peeked under the table. Once she saw Benjiro, her mouth made an 'O' shape.

One by one, the students began to enter the dining hall. 

Ryo passed by Jiro and gave him a nod.

After it became obvious that he was being stared at, Benjiro scuttled out from under the table like a wild and feral animal. 

"Stop! Stop staring at me!!! Stop it stop it stop it!!" He screamed, his eyes bloodshot. 

Benjiro's appearance looked rather unkempt and he looked incredibly tired.

"Arai-san? Are you alright?" Sai asked, keeping a good distance from the boy.

"No! No one is!!! Don't come near me or I'll tear your fucking throat out!!!" He threatened. 

"Oh jeez, why is he acting like that?" Mizuki asked, walking up next to Jiro.

"I-I don't know...but...he's acting...like an animal." Jiro thought out loud. 

"He isn't the only one acting strange." A voice said from behind Jiro. 

He spun around quickly to see Gin standing there. Of course, Leiko was there too, but something was different.

Before he could ask, his question was answered. 

"Why are you looking at me like I'm trash? Gin! Remove him!" Leiko demanded, thrusting an accusing finger towards Jiro.

Gin sighed heavily.

"She's been acting like this since she woke up. It's completely unlike her. And it looks like she's not the only one." The bodyguard said, glancing over Jiro's shoulder where Benjiro was acting like a cornered animal.

"Maybe they're sick. I wouldn't be surprised if they caught some weird virus that has been cut off from humanity for centuries." Mizuki said.

Jiro glanced around, trying to see if anyone else was acting out of the ordinary. 

Ryo was leaning against the wall. Normal.

Nao wasn't even there. Normal.

Whichever one it was, Ookami was looking around skeptically, as if judging everyone individually. Normal. Probably.

Jiro stopped when his eyes landed on Guren. 

Something was definitely wrong.

"M-Mizuki-san? Can you c-come with me for a moment?" He asked, looking towards the comedian.

"Oh? Ready to confess your undying love for me?" Mizuki teased. 

Jiro glared at her with a serious face.

"Whoa, I'm just kidding. What do you need?" 

Jiro grabbed Mizuki's hand and began to walk towards Guren. In all honesty, he just didn't want to face the illusionist by himself.

As they approached, Guren just stared at them. Her eyes looked so dull and lifeless to Jiro. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart. 

She just looked so....broken...

"H-hi, Isukama-san...a-are you okay....?" He asked.

Guren simply just stared at him with blank eyes. It was almost like looking at a stone statue. 

She didn't answer.

"Okay, something is definitely wrong here. Hang on.." Mizuki moved forward and placed her hand over Guren's forehead. 

The comedians eyes widened suddenly as she jerked her hand back.

"Holy crap! She's burning up!" She said.

" **Upupupu~, it looks like you've already been introduced to the brand new motive!** " 

Everyone looked towards the center of the dining table where Monokuma stood. 

"What did you do to them?!" Sai asked.

" **Oh not much. Just a little something I like to call, the Despair Disease! It's a virus of my own creation. It infects certain people and twists and warps their personalities. Along with a life-threatening fever of course!** " 

"D-Despair Disease? Wha-" Jiro began.

"Is it contagious?" Nao asked, having just entered the dining hall. 

" **Upupu~ I wonder I wonder.** " 

"There's no time! We have to get them to the infirmary!" Sai interrupted.

"You won't take me anywhere! I'm not leaving!! I'm not...leaving....you'll have to...kill me...first..." Benjiro finally lost consciousness and hit the ground. Sai was quick to rush by his side. 

Almost at the same time, Guren lost consciousness as well. Luckily, Mizuki was able to catch her before she hit the floor.

"H-How do we know wh-who's infected or not?" Jiro asked.

Once again, his question was answered.

"The mage....the mage is trying to possess us..." 

Jiro looked towards Chiyo, who had her hood covering half of her face. It looked to Jiro like she was in pain. Then he saw it.

Her there were claw marks all on her arms. There was also blood under her fingernails, meaning she did that to herself.

"He....I won't let him....possess me.....never again...never again!" Chiyo shouted. 

"Everyone! We have to get them to the infirmary." Sai said, attempting to pick up Benjiro.

"I'll get Isukama-san there. Jiro-san can you convince Namida-san to go to the infirmary?" Mizuki asked, hauling Guren onto her back.

Jiro gulped. "I-I'll try..." he muttered.

"What are you doing?! Put me down this instant!" Jiro looked towards the yelling to see Gin carrying a flailing Leiko.

Finally swallowing his nerves, he approached Chiyo cautiously. She was mumbling to herself.

"U-um Namida-san...?" 

"You....what do you want....?"

Jiro was taken by surprise. This was the most normal sentence that he's heard her say so far.

"I-I was told t-to take you to th-the infirmary.." 

Chiyo looked up at him and locked eyes with his. She let out a long sigh.

"I guess that's fair. I'm already being torn up from inside..." She said.

Without thinking, Jiro placed a hand on Chiyo's forehead. It was burning. When Chiyo gave him a questioning look, he explained

"You have a really high fever. C-come on. We need to get you to the infirmary." He said.

Chiyo simply nodded and started to walk out of the dining hall. Once again, he was surprised by her lack of resistance.

-

9:15 am

Jiro raised his hand and gently knocked on the infirmary door.

"I-It's Jiro, can I come in?" he asked

"Yes." 

He slowly opened the door and stepped inside the room. He closed the door behind him and finally glanced at the sick students. Each of them were laid on one of the infirmary bed. None of them looked too well.

"How are they?" Jiro asked.

"Not well...besides their personality changes, they have terribly high fevers." Sai explained, placing a damp towel over Guren's forehead. 

Some of them were still passed out, leaving Chiyo and Leiko awake. Looking over at Leiko, Jiro was startled by the sudden appearance of someone else beside the bed.

"K-Kojima-san?! W-where did you.."

"I've been here the whole time. I won't leave her alone with anyone. Especially in her current condition" The bodyguard said firmly, crossing his arms.

"Tsk. It's you again?" Leiko said, crossing her arms.

Jiro looked towards Gin.

"S-So the disease is making her act like....Arai-san?" He guessed.

Gin smirked and shook his head. 

"She's acting more like a tyrant. She's told me to kill multiple people, which is something she would never even consider." The bodyguard explained.

"You two seem pretty close. I'm glad she has someone as capable as you by her side." Sai said, standing next to Jiro.

Gin sighed and shook his head.

"I'm just a bodyguard. I won't explain why so don't ask. But that's all I'll ever be. My job is to keep her safe." He informed them.

Leiko now had her eyes closed and was resting her head against the pillow.

Jiro narrowed his eyes.

' _She's the Ultimate Transfer Student...so maybe she's from an important family or something. Maybe she's royalty. But I doubt they would let royalty just waltz into a school for Ultimates. She has to have some connection to something important._ '

Jiro was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by Gin.

"Pardon me, Kinoshita-san. But I don't like the way you're looking at Tsukiko-sama. Please don't do that." Gin warned.

Jiro was quick to avert his eyes to somewhere, anywhere, else in the room. His eyes landed on the bed that Benjiro was on.

"U-Um...why is he....tied to the bed?" He asked.

Sai awkwardly looked to the side.

"He um...bit me so....I thought it was best to keep him...restrained..." she explained.

Jiro was only partially listening.

"H-he bit you? Where?" He asked, concerned.

Sai rolled up her sleeve slightly to show that there was indeed a bite mark on her wrist. And it looked deep.

"A-are you o-okay?" He asked nervously.

The aromatherapist smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine, Jiro-san. But thank you for being concerned about me." She said.

Jiro instinctively pulled his hood on and shrunk back slightly.

"I-it was no big deal...an-anyone would d-do the same..." he murmured.

"You do that alot. Whenever you're embarrassed or overwhelmed, you pull your hood over your face. Is there a reason?" Gin asked, suddenly appearing next to Jiro.

Jiro choked slightly.

"I-I...it um...m-makes me feel....safe..." he explained.

"I see." Gin said before returning to Leiko's side.

"Jiro-san, hold still for a moment." Sai requested.

Jiro looked back towards Sai with a confused expression. He suddenly felt her hands swipe behind both of his ears rather quickly before pulling away.

"H-Huh? Wha-"

"Bergamot. It's a fragrance that gives a sense of comfort and security." Sai explained, holding up an aroma oils bottle.

"O-oh...thank you, Sai-san. You always s-seem to know what I'm feeling e-even before I do." Jiro said, laughing awkwardly.

Sai's cheeks dusted a light pink color before she looked away bashfully.

"You give me too much credit." She mused.

Their conversation halted by the sound of knocking at the door.

"You can just come in." Sai called out.

Then entered the last person that anyone would expect to show up. 

"Oh, hello, Ookami-san..." Sai greeted awkwardly.

Jiro widened his eyes and in a very manly and heroic move, he hid behind Sai.

The aromatherapist looked back at the boy with a confused expression before looking back at the shaking girl in front of her.

"I c-ame to se-e if th-e equip-ment was fu-nction-ing corre-ctly." 

Based on the way she acted and spoke, Jiro concluded that Kaze was in control at the moment. Which also meant that he could relax a little. 

"Ah, that's actually good. I was trying to hook everyone up to the heart monitors but Arai-san's wouldn't turn on." Sai explained.

Without even waiting for the other girl to finish explaining, Kaze approached Benjiro's heart monitor and looked around the back of it.

She removed the back of the main box and began rearranging some things.

"W-wait! Don't you need...g-gloves or something when y-you're touch wires and s-stuff?" Jiro asked.

He could visibly see that Kaze would twitch every so often, along with the shaking, which made it even more dangerous.

The technician merely looked at Jiro with a blank look before returning her eyes to her work.

"N-o....I kn-ow what I'm d-oing. Besides...I n-ever feel t-he shock anymo-re." She said in her choppy way of talking.

About a minute or two after she started, the heart monitor lit up and started at a flatline before slowly began to show Benjiro's heart rate. 

Kaze placed the back on the monitor once more. She shakily glanced around the room, presumably at the other equipment that was there.

"Thank you, Ookami-san! You really helped out. I guess they don't call you the Ultimate Technician for no reason." Sai praised the girl and gave her a thankful smile.

Kaze's neck suddenly violently jerked to the right, and an audible cracking sound was heard throughout the room. Everyone remained frozen as her eyes rolled back in her head. 

A moment later, she lifted her head, only to show that her eyes have changed color.

"Huh? Oh, what's up, guys!? You're all kinda staring at me like you've seen a ghost." The technician said in a bold and confident voice.

"U-Um....Haise...san...?" Jiro guessed.

"The one and only!" Haise said, smiling widely.

Jiro glanced towards Sai, who had gone quite pale after witnessing such a display. Even Jiro himself felt a little dizzy. 

"Was Sis doing something in here? Playing with her wires and such? That figures. Anyways, imma head out. If you need me, then good luck finding me!" The girl shouted before practically sprinting out of the room, barely remembering to open the door first.

After a lingering moment of silence, Gin spoke.

"What was that all about?" 

Jiro jumped again, having forgotten that Gin was still in the room.

"I-I'm gonna have a stroke...." he murmured in defeat.

It wasn't even the afternoon yet but he felt completely drained.

"U-Um, I should probably ignore what happened but Jiro-san, if you aren't feeling well, then you should probably go rest. I'll keep watch over them." Sai said with a reassuring smile.

"I-I guess you're right...I a-am pretty tired.." Jiro reluctantly agreed.

After saying his goodbyes to the two who were looking over the sick students, he left the infirmary. 

' _I know Sai-san wants me to rest but....I should probably do something useful..._ '

Jiro began to make his way towards the library. 

When he arrived, he was surprised to see someone was already there. 

"Shigeru-kun, What are you doing here?" He asked.

Ryo looked back at him with a smile. He was previously looking out the window while bobbing his head to his imaginary song. 

The rapper merely shrugged in response.

Jiro sighed. He hadn't really expected to get much of an answer from the other boy anyways.

"S-sorry to pry but...why don't you talk much?" Jiro asked, unable to stop his curiosity from leaking through.

Ryo simply chucked soundlessly at the question.

" _Jiro, my buddy, you got lots to learn.  
Just listen on in and gears'll start to turn._

_My words are fresh, that I can say  
But it's hard to make 'em with time in the way_

_Even a rapper like me has got a limit  
Thinkin' these verses takes me a minute_"

Jiro was almost impressed by how easily Ryo spoke, however, he didn't understand half of what he said.

"U-Um...okay...thanks I think..." Jiro said before awkwardly exiting the library. He forgot why he had gone in there in the first place.


End file.
